


Poetry for an Heiress

by KellCavs



Category: Prospect (2018)
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Implied/Referenced Suicide, No use of y/n, Rating May Change
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-08
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:01:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 43,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26886298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KellCavs/pseuds/KellCavs
Summary: When a duchess and her children are abandoned far from home, they must rely on the kindness of one stranger to guide them home.(Yes, this is based on the Aristocats.)
Relationships: Ezra (Prospect 2018)/Reader, Ezra (Prospect 2018)/You
Comments: 17
Kudos: 61





	1. Chapter 1

"Your highness!  _ Your highness!"  _

You were awoken by a rapid knocking at the door to your private chambers sometime in the early morning hours when the sky was still a deep purple.

The doorknob rattled violently as someone tried to enter. There was a light cracking and splintering of wood as the door gave way to reveal your grandmother's advisor. He looked more than a bit disheveled, still dressed in his own night clothes. 

"Edgar, what is it?" you asked, sliding out of bed. You pulled a thin robe over your nightgown and approached him, anxiety curling around your heart. "Has something happened to my grandmother?"

"There's been an attempt on your life," he said once he had calmed down enough to speak. "My lady, we must leave at once."

"The children?"

"Are still sleeping," he soothed. "Gather them quickly. We cannot wait until morning."

Your heart was pounding in your ears as you moved on autopilot towards the children's rooms. Your daughter's room was closest and you pushed open the door.  _ An attempt on my life? How could such a thing have happened?  _

Your mother was next in line for the throne once your grandmother stepped down from the crown. Then you. Why would they come after you?

"Mama? What's going on?" Marie, your young daughter, asked sleepily. She raised herself up on her elbows and watched you toss a few of her simple frock dresses into a knapsack. 

"We need to leave, my love, quickly!" 

You scooped your youngest into your arms and held her tightly. She clutched her stuffed dog in her arms as she clung to your neck. Already, you could feel her tears against your skin. You hoped that with any luck, she would fall asleep quickly once your ship took off to safety.

You met Edgar back at your room and handed Marie to him, along with her bag. Marie whimpered and reached for you when she left the safety of your arms. 

Blinking through tears, you quickly dashed to your boys' room to collect your twin boys, Aiden and Henry, from their beds. They were easy to rouse, though Henry did drop his glasses behind the nightstand. He fumbled around for them in the darkness for a moment while you tossed a few pairs of clothes into a bag for them. There wasn't much you could take with you. Thankfully, it wasn't a long trip to the planet you spent your summers on - a full day's travel at most. The children had clothes and toys there, and you had dresses to wear and books to keep you occupied until the dust had settled and you were able to return home.

You gripped Aiden's hand tightly and he held onto his brother's as you rushed down the wide hallway back towards your room where Edgar was waiting with your daughter. 

"My mother?" you asked him, slightly out of breath and not caring that your voice cracked. "And my grandmother?"

"They've already been taken away to safety," he assured you, shifting a now-dozing Marie to his other arm. "They are together, duchess, and heavily guarded. Right now, we must focus on getting you and your children to safety."

It brought you some comfort to know your mother, the princess, and grandmother, the dowager queen, were safe. They needed to be protected at all costs.

You nodded and looked down at your boys. Aiden pressed his face against your soft belly and let out a sob. You carded your fingers through his soft hair and shushed him quietly.

"Have you collected your things?" Edgar asked. He glanced down the hallway, searching for any sign of trouble that may have made its way past the guards.

You checked the bags and then gave a short nod. A few pairs of clothes each and a comfort toy for each of the boys. It would have to do for now. "Yes. I have everything I need."

"We must go to the ship through the back," Edgar insisted as he picked up your bags. "Rebels have stormed the front gate and we mustn't let them see you. They may try and follow us and sneak on board. Quickly, this way!"

You grabbed the boys hands and rushed after Edgar. Your footsteps were almost silent, bare feet echoing off the marble floors. It didn't even occur to you that this could be the last time you ever saw the palace. It had been your home since you were a baby. You'd been born here. Your own children had been born here. It never occurred to you that people could want you dead just for being you. Perhaps it was a show of just how ignorant you had been. Maybe that is exactly  _ why  _ they wanted you dead. 

The gardens were eerily silent when you snuck out the back door. The lanterns had all been snuffed out, save for the small light Edgar carried with him to light the way to the ship. Even the moon, as distant as it was, was obscured by clouds.

You were almost at the ship. It seemed to rise out of the ground like a guard tower. Edgar was already lifting Marie on board when you rounded the corner. 

Behind you, Henry slipped and fell hard onto the cobblestone path that snaked through the garden. He began to cry, probably more surprised than injured. You turned back to gather him, urging Aiden to run towards Edgar.

"I've got you, darling," you soothed when you hoisted Henry into your arms. "Come on!"

When you finally approached the ship, Aiden's skinny legs were just disappearing into the pod. Edgar took Henry from you and gave him a boost up so he could join his brother and sister on board.

"Your turn, my lady," he urged, offering his hand to you. "Up you go."

Gathering your long nightgown and robe in one hand, you gripped the handle with your other to hoist yourself up into the vertical pod of Edgar's small personal transport ship. It was too risky to take the larger one, as it would be easier to track by rebels, Edgar had explained as you sprinted down the halls. 

Once on board, you helped your three children buckle their harnesses. Marie was barely awake when you snapped the safety on and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. She squeezed her stuffed dog tighter to her chest and wiped her nose on its head.

Henry was sniffling still from his tumble and you knelt down to examine his knees after you buckled the harness over his chest. The knees of his silk pajama pants had held up against his fall, but you could see the blood that blossomed beneath the blue fabric. It would be alright without bandages for now, you figured. You pressed kisses to both of his scraped palms and ruffled his black hair as you stood up. 

"My brave boy," you soothed, cupping his cheek in your hand. He gave you a smile, though you could still see the fear in his eyes.

Turning to Aiden, the eldest by seven minutes, you smiled in spite of your current situation. Aiden had buckled his harness himself, but had managed to do it in a way that you weren't quite sure how exactly he'd done it. One leg was through an arm hole and his arm was over his head, looped through the other side of the harness. 

"My little soldier," you hummed, smoothing back his unruly red hair. You quickly fixed the harness and kissed the top of his head, taking a moment to smell his shampoo, soft lemon and lavender. It soothed you for a brief moment, a calm amongst the chaos.

"Duchess," came Edgar's voice over the comm system. He was above you in the cockpit, though you could see him looking back at you through the viewing window. "Your highness, I need you to buckle in - we need to take off immediately."

You jumped into your seat and buckled yourself in. As soon as your harness latched, you felt the ship rumble and roar to life as it lifted off the ground. 

It didn't take long to push through the atmosphere of your planet, and soon you were soaring through the stars on your way to safety. You turned back to take one last look at your home as it grew smaller and smaller until it was no more than a speck amidst the stars. There was a faint hissing noise and cool air flooded the pod. It felt nice on your flushed skin, especially after fleeing for your lives through the gardens. You tilted your head back and let the air calm your racing heart.

After a moment, you turned to look at your children, thankfully now all asleep, and wiped the tears from your eyes. They flowed freely down your cheeks and neck, collecting as they soaked into the neckline of your nightgown.

It had been so long since you let yourself cry like this. Not since the night that word had come that your beloved husband had been killed. Everything had just happened so quickly. You hadn't even gotten to say goodbye to your mother and grandmother. It broke your heart, leaving them like that when there were rebels invading the palace. All you could do was pray they would be safe. Briefly, you wondered when you'd be able to see them again though you knew you'd be able to speak to them when you landed on Condent.

Suddenly, you were hit with a wave of exhaustion. You could only assume it was the dire events of the night that drained you. You didn't even know what time you had been woken up by Edgar knocking on your door. All you could hope was that you and your children would be safe in a few hours when you landed.

When you woke, the first thing you noticed was how  _ still  _ everything was. You'd been travelling through space since before you could walk and not once had it ever been so very still. And so quiet.

After a moment, it dawned on you that you weren't even moving. The ship was not moving and, based on how quiet everything was, completely powered down. Everything appeared tilted and you realized little Marie was dangling in her seat, suspended by the harness.

You gasped in surprise and unbuckled yourself from the harness and rushed to your children. They were just starting to stir when you unclipped them all. 

"Mama," Marie whimpered, clutching her toy to her chest. "Where are we, mama?"

"We're safe, little bug," you said softly, smoothing your fingers over her curls.

You looked around the pod for some sort of map or a navigation system to indicate where you were. It wasn't Condent, you knew that for certain. You hadn't traveled for that long.

Finally, your finger pressed against a button that read "main comm" and you jammed your fingers against it. 

"Edgar!" you called. "Edgar, you must come back for us! This is not the right location!"

The only reply was a harsh buzz of static. Edgar was out of range for direct communication. 

You slammed your fist against the comm unit and gave a frustrated cry. 

Marie gave a startled jump and almost immediately began to cry. She had never seen you upset or angry and she sensed your unease and fear. 

"Oh, little bug," you murmured, kneeling down in front of her. "It's alright. He'll be back for us. We must have just detached from the ship is all. He'll know where we are." You wiped her tears away with your thumbs and kissed her cheeks.

You stood and looked around the pod for anything that could be salvaged. Most things had been busted on what must have been a rough entry through the atmosphere. Electronics were jammed and screens cracked. There was no hope for making any sort of emergency call for a rescue from here. 

"We need to go," you said, looking at your children. "We need to find a radio to call for help. Aiden, grab a change of clothes for you and your brother. Marie, bug, you hold onto my hand. Don't let go."

Aiden nodded and dove into one of the knapsacks. "What about you and Marie, mama?"

"Yes, love, us too," you murmured, trying to keep your voice calm. You were trying to peek out the window to see exactly what type of planet you landed on. You didn't want to open the door only to flood the pod with poisoned air and kill yourself and your children. 

By the pod door, a tiny meter was happily dinging away. It appeared to be the only thing working on board this infernal pod. The little meter read, "hab.lvl.1.o2," and you glanced out the window to try and make sense of it.

There was only one way to find out... You looked back at the children and urged them to stay there until you came to get them. After you sealed the airtight central door to keep them safe, you dug around and found an emergency back-up oxygen supply in the storage locker, along with a first aid pack you set aside for later. 

The apparatus was easy enough to figure out. You hooked the nozzle over your face per the basic instruction manual, and flipped the filter to the "on" position. A stale taste filled your nose for a brief second until the filter worked itself out. Unfortunately, there was no suit to wear onboard and Kevva help you, it wouldn't be needed. You shoved the emergency handle down and pushed open the pod door. 

A cool breeze lifted the thin sleeves of your nightgown off your arms and you glanced around, trying to make some sense of where you were. The soft grass beneath your bare feet was a pale yellow-green, matched with the pastel blue sky above you. 

Deciding to take a risk, you switched off the filter and held your breath as you pulled the apparatus away from your face. You sucked in a lungful of clean, cool air and sighed in relief. 

The planet was habitable, at least. Hopefully you would be able to find someone to help you. A town or village, maybe. 

You reentered the pod and opened the central door to see three terrified faces looking back at you.

"It's alright," you soothed, holding your hand out to them. "Come out. We need to try and find someone to help us."

One by one, you helped the children down from the pod and onto the soft grass. You briefly reentered to grab the knapsack and first aid kit and did one last sweep to see if there was anything else you could use.

Aiden and Henry were holding Marie's hands when you exited the pod and shut the door with a dull thud.

"Mama," Aiden quipped, "Where are we?"

"I don't know, my love," you replied, putting your hand against your brow to shield the sun streaming from above. The brush at the edge of the small cluster of trees had been tamped down like a path of some sort and you pointed it out to the children. "See that? That looks like a path. We'll go that way."

You kept the children ahead of you as you lead them away from the pod and into the woods. Hopefully a village or town was nearby. The children would be hungry soon and you didn't have any food for them.

The small hunch you had about there being a path had been correct. You followed it as it wound through the trees and down small hills for a few hours until the sun was directly overhead. Eventually, it widened into a proper flat dirt road. At least it would make walking easier. 

After a few hours of carrying Marie, you had to put her down. She was getting too big and heavy for you to carry. She sat down on the path and began to cry.

"Mama, no! I'm hungry and tired sound!"

You leaned against a fallen tree and wiped sweat off your forehead. "Little bug, please. I need you to walk for a while."

"We can carry her, mama," Henry offered. He approached his sister and grabbed her around the middle to try and hoist her off the ground.

Marie screeched and kicked her legs out to try and get away from him.

"Henry Avery, you'll hurt her!" you gently scolded. 

"I'm just trying to help, mama," he mumbled sheepishly. 

"I know, my sweet, but you're going to hurt her if you carry her like that. Put her on your back. Yes, just like that."

Marie giggled as she wound her arms around her brother's neck and kicked her legs. 

"I'll fall if you keep doing that!" Henry cried. He made a disgusted face when Marie blew a raspberry in his ear.

After a few moments, you straightened your back and beckoned the children to come with you. 

You walked for almost another hour through a rough patch of the path. Soon after you started down that path,, brambles and stones cut at your feet and legs and after a few moments, you insisted to go first to clear a path for the little ones. By the time you made it through, your hands were raw and bloody from the thorns and serrated leaves.

As you reentered the main pathway, the sound of water filled your ears. You quickly looked around for the source of it. You gathered the children and quickly ushered them off the path towards the sound of water. 

"Mama," Marie whined, tugging on your nightgown, "I'm hungry and my feet hurt!"

"I know, bug, it's quite alright. We should find someone soon. They will help us."

Henry called to get your attention and pointed down a little sloping cliffside. "There's a stream down there!"

"I see a bridge!" Aiden called from down a little further. 

A bridge. A bridge meant civilization, people who would have a radio for you to borrow. You could have wept from relief.

"Come along," you hummed, scooping Marie back into your arms. With your spirit rejuvenated, you struck up a song you had been teaching the children to play during their music lessons. They quickly followed suit, humming and singing merrily as you neared the bridge.

On the other side of the small river was a slope downwards and past that, you could see the tops of chimneys and slatted roofs. 

"We're almost there!" you said, beaming down at the children.

"Can we get some food?" Aiden asked as he tugged at your robe. 

"Oh, yes!" Henry gasped. "Maybe they'll have cake!"

"Mama," Marie whispered, lifting her head off your shoulders, "I want toast!"

You chewed on the inside of your lip and nodded. All you had been able to find in the knapsack on the pod had been a few measly credits. Hopefully it would be enough to buy a small meal for your children. 

"We'll get you so much food, your little bellies will be so full!" you lied. "Maybe you'll have to take a cat nap when you're done!"

The children giggled and raced each other across the bridge while you followed close behind. Kevva willing, you would have enough money to get them a meal.

It was only a few minutes' walk to the tiny village after that. There were stone houses scattered here and there, the asphalt between them was cracked and scraggly weeds poked through. Broken glass dusted the street, and even that was covered by a thin layer of grime that seemed to permeate even the air you breathed.

You warned the children of broken glass, though Aiden and Henry had at least some protection with their slippers. Marie, however, had to be carried through the street while you searched for a cantina of sorts. The glass cut into your own feet and you silently cursed yourself for not wearing slippers the night before. 

A rickety metal sign announced the large building on the corner was an inn, charmingly named  _ Libertalia.  _

You corralled the boys through the door and held Marie on your hip as you entered behind them. Almost immediately, you felt out of place and horribly unsafe.

There were perhaps twenty or so men inside, each tougher looking than the last, some with scars across their faces to make them look even meaner. The men's clothes, much like their wearers, were dirty and torn, shredded by bullets and knives, ripped and hastily sewn back together. The whole room smelled like sweat and dirt and cheap liquor and cigarette smoke. It was a sharp contrast to your flowy nightgown and robe and the boys blue silk pajamas. You four stood out like sore thumbs.

Instinctively, you guided the boys back to you and tightened your hold on Marie. 

"I don't like this place, mama," Henry whispered. 

You shushed him and slowly began to work your way over to the counter. The men closest to you turned to stare as you carefully approached the counter top. In the back of your mind, you remembered what your grandmother had once told you about acting like you belong in every situation you are in.

You found three empty stools at the counter and motioned for the boys to climb up as you sat Marie down between them. You didn't even have to wave to get the attendant to come over to you.

He was a mean looking bald man with a blind eye and three scars across his face and about twice as wide as he was tall. He stood in front of you like he was going to help you, but said nothing. He eyed each of your children for several long, uncomfortable minutes before he looked at you.

"I would like some food for my children," you said, hoping he didn't hear the waver in your voice. You fumbled in the pocket of your robe for a moment before presenting him with the meager credits you had scavenged from the knapsack.

He grabbed the credits from your hand and snorted when he saw what you had. He spat on the floor at his feet before he turned to a pot on the counter behind him. He poured one small ladle of a thick sludge into a tiny wooden bowl and tossed it on the counter. It sloshed over the side of the bowl onto the counter and he chuckled as he walked away. 

"Mama?" Henry said, the uncertainty evident in voice as he poked at the contents of the bowl. 

"It's alright, darling," you assured him. "Just make sure you each have some."

It was only enough for each of the children to have a few bites. You could almost hear their little tummies rumbling as you tried to flag down the worker again. You did your best to ignore that the cantina had fallen silent as everyone turned to watch you.

"Excuse me! There must be something else you could give them," you asked, hoping he would be at least somewhat reasonable or sympathetic. "Please."

"You had six credits. Five credits gets you that amount of food."

"Where's the last credit I had?" you demanded. You held out your hand as if you expected him to apologize and return your one measly credit. 

He snorted again. "Taxes," he chuckled cruelly. "Though I am willing to make you a deal."

You leaned across the counter as he beckoned you closer. He leaned in to meet you halfway and you could smell the rank stench of his teeth decaying in his mouth. 

"What say you and I go out back and take a roll in the hay? I'll feed your children and you'll get something even better."

You reeled back and gasped in horror. Instinctively, you raised your hand to slap him across the face. He was quicker than you and grabbed your wrist before it could make contact. You closed your eyes and braced for him to return the strike you intended to deliver.

"Hosea!" a sharp voice rang out. "Now that's quite enough."

You cracked open one eye and turned to see a man with short dark hair standing a few feet from you. He had one arm held up to show you he meant no harm. His other arm, you noticed, was missing past the elbow, the sleeve pinned up against his shoulder. 

"Ezra," Hosea sighed, throwing your hand back at you. He turned to face the newcomer with a glare plastered on his face.

"Now you know I am not one to stick my beak into other people's business--"

"Really, when did you start that?" Hosea interrupted.

Ezra promptly ignored him and continued. "--but you were about to harm this poor young woman, and that is simply something that I cannot abide by. I will ask you kindly to return her credits to her. And I will only ask you once." His hand gently rested on the gun at his hip.

Hosea glowered at Ezra for a moment before he threw three credits at the children and stormed into the back room.

You turned to face the man that had spoken up for you. He gave you a boyish grin and tilted his head to the side. He ran his hand through his hair and you noticed that he had a white patch near the temple. It added some charm to his rugged features.

"Miss, my apologies for his uncivilized behavior," Ezra said. "That is no way to treat a lovely woman like you."


	2. Chapter 2

"Thank you, sir," you said softly, giving him a little curtsy out of habit.

Ezra gave you a kind but crooked smile in return, his dark eyes crinkling up at the sides. "The pleasure is all mine. I find joy in telling Hosea to jump in a ditch. But, miss, might I recommend we take our leave of this place? I fear we may have overstayed our welcome."

You glanced around at the other patrons, many of which were reaching for modified throwers and pistols.

You looked back at Ezra and gave him a quick once over. He was just as dirty and disheveled as the lot of them, and he too had that pistol at his hip that he threatened Hosea with only moments earlier. However, something deep down inside told you to trust this stranger whom you only just met seconds before.

"Boys," you said calmly, "Take your sister and follow me outside. We have to leave."

They opened their mouths to protest but you quickly shut them down and had them march outside back to the glass-covered street. Once outside, you took Marie from Aiden's back and rested her on your hip. You wiped tears from her stained cheeks and kissed her forehead.

Ezra shut the door to  _ Libertalia  _ firmly behind you and leaned against it with a sigh. "Now, princess," he said, nodding at you. "You seem just a touch lost. Pray tell, how exactly did you end up here on this wretched hive of a planet?"

"I... we were heading to Condent when--"

Ezra let out a surprised laugh. "Condent? Princess, you are more lost than I originally assumed."

You felt your stomach twist at his words. "Lost?" you squeaked. "How do you mean? How lost are we?"

"Condent is about two days straight of travel--" Ezra glanced around at the position of the afternoon sun for a moment before he pointed in the complete opposite direction of where you had come from, "-- _ That  _ direction. And that's if you have a high speed slinger. You climb on one of them freighters, you're looking at a week, maybe two? Three, if it's an older model..."

Ezra continued to talk, rambling on about the downtime of the freighters and rotational orbital displacement, slingback speed, and thruster speeds on varying models. He kept talking, mostly to himself, as it was quite obvious you weren't paying attention to a single thing he said. 

_ Edgar had purposely dropped your pod here. It was completely out of the way from where you had been going. Two days out of the way. _

You put a hand over your mouth and felt hot tears well up in your eyes. You wanted so badly to just break down and cry. To scream at the top of your lungs. To run. But you looked down at your children huddled around you, hungry and scared. And you swallowed the lump in your throat and looked at Ezra.

"I need a communication device," you said firmly. "And you will take me to one."

Ezra chuckled and shook his head, though there was no cruelty behind the gesture. "I'm afraid that is beyond my pay grade, princess. There are no radios out here on Muir. We are, unfortunately out of the way for most freighters, even. We get a supply drop about once a month or so and a med vac just as often and that is only if we are very, very lucky."

You couldn't believe it. You didn't want to believe it. Fear bubbled up in your chest as Ezra's words rang in your ears.  _ A month or better. _

You felt a gentle tug on the sleeve of your nightgown and looked down to see Henry staring up at you. His eyes were glistening with tears and magnified by his glasses. His lower lip was shaking slightly.

"Mama? Are we ever going to go home?" he asked.

You blinked the tears away and knelt down in front of your children. Ezra stepped away for a second to give you a moment of privacy with them.

"Of course we will!" you promised, putting your hands on his shoulders. You brushed away the dirt from his cheeks and gave him a small smile. "We will see them very soon. In fact, they are probably looking for us right now."

"Do you think grandmother misses us?" Aiden asked. "And great-grandmama?"

"They miss us so much, my darlings. They are all probably worried sick for us. We will be home shortly, don't worry."

"Mama," Marie mumbled, wrapping her arms around your neck. "I'm still hungry."

"I'm sorry, little bug," you said sadly. "I will try to find you something to eat." You hugged all three children close and finally let a tear slide down your cheek. If you could find someone to take them, you had some rings that could be sold for food. Even if you went without, you couldn't watch your children go hungry.

Ezra pushed himself off the side of the building and approached you slowly, his one hand in his pocket.

"I know you probably are untrustworthy of every man on this planet, Princess," he said, "But if my word carries any meaning, I am the proud owner of a small plot not too far from town. Your children can eat their fill."

You pulled the children closer, waiting to hear the catch to his offer.

"It's a fine offer," he continued. "I doubt you will receive such courtesy from the men in there." Ezra nodded towards the  _ Libertalia  _ and then looked back at you.

"I will not stoop that low,  _ sir _ ," you snapped. "Not quite yet."

Ezra looked befuddled. He knitted his brows together for a brief moment before his eyes went wide. "Kevva help me, no!" he said, putting his hand on his chest. "Princess, I would never put you in that position. I am merely offering excess to those in need. No strings attached."

You eyed him warily and slowly pulled away from your children. You stood to your full height and tried to smooth down the front of your once-pristine nightgown. It was now slowly starting to resemble everything else around you. "I would do anything for my children. If you harm them - or me, I will take whatever action is necessary."

Ezra held his hand up and gave you that crooked smile again. "You have my word. I hope that is worth something to you."

"Time will tell," you said, silently hoping you were making the right decision by trusting this scruffy looking ex-prospector. 

Ezra glanced back at  _ Libertalia  _ and reached into one of the half dozen pockets on the front of his flight suit. He slowly pulled his hand away when he saw you tense and pulled out a small knife. "If we were to be followed home," he said, passing you the knife, "I am quite obviously at a disadvantage and might need you to assist."

You looked at the knife in your hand and wrapped your fingers around the thick handle of it. If you needed to, would you be able to use it?

"Mama!" Aiden piped up, "Can I hold that? Please! Please please!"

"No you may not," you said gently. "Come on, we're going to follow Mr. Ezra."

Aiden turned to Ezra, already halfway down the street and raced after him. Henry looked at his brother and then at you, as if he was waiting for you to scold him before he too took off running.

You sighed and reached for the knapsack and slung it over your shoulder before you bent to pick up Marie.

Ezra lead you out of the little town and across a rickety bridge over a ravine towards a little house built into a hillside.

Grasses almost completely concealed it from the path, and if any wayward travellers made it this far, they would be almost certainly chased away by the barbed wire fence around the property. The little hut itself was stone, two stories high with a little tower that rose from the roof.

Three geese honked in annoyance as you entered the property behind Ezra and the boys.

"Sadly, it isn't much," he mumbled sheepishly. "I wish I had more to offer you." Ezra turned and disappeared into the hut, leaving you in the yard.

Almost immediately, Aiden and Henry took off running after the geese and Marie squirmed in your arms until you sat her down.

"Be careful!" you called to them. You glanced around at the yard for a moment, trying to wrap your head around what had just happened. Just yesterday you had been at home, strolling through the gardens with your mother. And now, you and your children were Kevva knows where on a planet that smelled vaguely like an oil lamp, wondering if you were ever going to make it home. And this stranger that stepped up to help you - you didn't know what to make of him.

He seemed sincere, you figured, but you didn't want to be too careful. If he found out who you were, then he might try and take advantage of you or your family.

Ezra emerged from the house with a metal bucket in his hand. He looked over at you and then jerked his shoulder, indicating you to follow him.

"I would like to show you around," he offered when he saw your hesitation. "Maybe it will lessen your apprehension about being here with me."

You spared a glance at the children, still chasing the geese around before you nodded and followed him. 

"You never told me your name," he said as he led you towards a pump near a rusted piece of farm equipment. "Not that I don't think Princess is a good fit, but I would like to call you something else, if you would prefer."

You hesitated for a moment before you let your first name fall past your lips. 

Ezra smiled and repeated your name a few times like he was testing it on his tongue. He set the bucket down beneath the spigot and turned to you. He gave you a gentle once over and hummed. "That is a fitting name for you, but I find Princess a bit more suitable for someone as elegant as yourself. What about your flock of little doves over there?"

You didn't want Ezra to know the names of the children. It could be dangerous to them if he wanted to hurt them. That feeling in your belly was back, the same one from before that told you to trust him.

"I understand your apprehension," he said as he grabbed the handle to the pump. "This place has already been unkind to you, and I realize that. But as long as I am here, no harm will come to you or your little flock."

You chewed on your lip for a second and Ezra took that as your answer. He began to draw water up from the pump, cursing the infernal thing all the while.

"The boys just turned seven," you said softly as water began to slosh into the bucket. "Aiden has the red hair, Henry has glasses. My daughter is Marie. She's five."

Ezra straightened his back and grinned. "There we go. Now your boys - twins?" When you nodded yes, he chuckled and bent low to start the pump again. "I am guessing they favor their father?"

You looked over when you heard a piercing giggle from the children as they played. Aiden so reminded you of your husband. It pained your heart sometimes to look at him.

"Yes," you murmured.

"And, forgive me if this is too forward for a stranger to ask," Ezra said. "Will he be joining us soon?"

"It is too forward," you said firmly. You picked up your nightgown and robe from the mud and walked through the grasses to join the children. 

"Mama! Mr. Ezra has ducks!" Henry said, pointing excitedly to the geese, now huddled at one end of the yard furthest from the children.

"That isn't a duck, stupid!" Aiden shouted from his perch on a low wooden fence. "They're geese, isn't that right, mama?"

"Aiden Drake!" you scolded. "Tell your brother you're sorry." 

You smiled at Henry when Aiden mumbled his apology and drew him in for a kiss. "Yes, my darling, they are geese. And it isn't nice to chase animals. They might bite you! How would you like if someone chased you all over?" You tickled his sides and smiled as he let out a delighted shriek and tried to get away.

"Mama!" Marie cried from somewhere off to your side. You quickly turned to her, worried she'd gotten hurt. She was bouncing up and down with a massive smile on her face. "Mr. Ezra has kitties!"

"Barn cats, little bird," Ezra said as he approached you, the bucket now heavy with water. "I can take you to see them in a bit, if you would like. The mama is mighty protective of her babies though. They were just born a few weeks ago."

"Can we see them now?" Henry asked. He broke free of your embrace and rushed over to Ezra. 

"I think it would be best if you put some food into your bellies first," he suggested. "But you should ask your mother regardless. She is in charge here. Isn't that right, Princess?"

You opened your mouth to agree with him, but Marie squealed and giggled. She clapped her little hands over her mouth and shook her head. "Mama isn't a  _ princess _ ! She's a duchess!  _ I'm  _ a princess!"

"Is that right?" Ezra asked, kneeling down to get on her level. "Do you mind if I still call your mama a princess? I think the title suits her, don't you agree,  _ your highness _ ?" He bowed his head and Marie giggled and patted the top of his head.

"I like your hair," she said, touching the white spot at his temple.

You hadn't wanted Ezra to know you were a duchess, or that your family had that kind of power. In the back of your mind, you still didn't fully trust him and wanted to keep as much as you could from him. Your plan had unfortunately lasted all of ten minutes and now you would have to deal with the consequences, whatever they may be.

Ezra stood up and braced himself on his leg with his hand. He turned to you and gestured to the children. "I will take them to see the kittens after they have some food, but ultimately, you are their mother. If you wish for them to stay here instead, your word is law."

You looked down at the children and they turned to look at you. Each of them had figured very early on that you were not immune to pouty lips and sad faces while they bargained for something they wanted.

"We will all go after we eat," you promised, smoothing down Marie's wayward curls. 

The children took off after Ezra and you sighed. You wished they weren't so trusting of him. It could be dangerous for them, especially so far from home. 

Not wanting them to leave him alone with the children, you followed them all into the house. A large pot was already steaming on an iron stove and the children were clambering around Ezra. He was doing his best to chop root vegetables one-handed while three over eager children bounced all over the kitchen asking him a million questions each.

You walked over to a large plastic tub in the corner and called for the children to come over. You dabbed a clean section of your robe into the water and wiped at their faces and hands, trying to get them as clean as you possibly could. Just because of your current situation didn't mean you couldn't have manners.

After you cleaned their hands and faces, you tried to tidy their hair. All three were unfortunately hopeless and you sighed at the herculean task that would be eventually untangling their curls.

"Mama," Marie said as you held her in your lap at the sturdy kitchen table, "This place looks like great-grandmama's library!" Her eyes were wide with wonder as she looked all around. 

You looked around and noticed the walls were stacked with books from floor to ceiling. They were everywhere in the tiny main room of the house, stacked on every available surface , books, manuals, notebooks, anything that someone could have read for entertainment, he had. You spotted a tattered, water-stained copy of a book that had the cover torn off sitting beside the stove. 

Ezra chuckled and looked at you. "I am going to make an assumption that that is to be taken as a compliment?"

"My grandmother has quite an extensive collection," you explained. "Though hers were not nearly and well-loved as yours, Mr. Ezra." You smiled and gave Marie a squeeze. "We love to read, don't we?"

Marie nodded happily. "Mama reads good stories."

"Is that right?" he asked as he pulled a chair up so he could take a seat at the table with you. He turned to gather a few clay bowls from a shelf and set them beside the pot on the stove. "And what is your favorite?"

Marie thought for a minute. "It's about a princess who kisses a frog!"

"Ah, I do believe I may have heard that one," Ezra said as he spooned soup into the bowls. He pretended to think for a brief moment. "Is that the story where the princess sleeps on all the mattresses?"

Marie giggled and shook her head. "No! The princess kisses the frog and he turns into a prince!"

"Oh, of course," Ezra playfully scolded himself as he set a bowl in front of her. "How could I forget?"

Henry rolled his eyes and put his head in his hands. "It's stupid."

You smiled and gently fluffed his hair. "You asked me to read you that story all the time when you were little."

Ezra chuckled and handed you a bowl of soup. He didn't release his hold on the bowl until he was sure you had it. His fingers felt rough and warm against your own and you almost dropped it at how they brushed your own. 

"Careful," he hummed as he set the bowl down. He gave you a wink and turned back to the stove to finish filling the bowls for the boys and himself.

After dinner, Ezra lead the children into the small barn - more of a shed than anything, you thought. It was full of equipment and bags of animal feed, though you saw no animals besides the geese on your walk over.

When you entered the barn, you heard the kittens before you even saw them, loud, mewling, demanding cries that cut through the darkness in the shed.

Ezra crouched down and pulled aside a crate to expose a small nest in one corner. A small cream-colored cat hissed at Ezra once when he reached in to let her smell him. He shushed her and beckoned her out with a scrap of meat left over from the soup he had made. 

"This is Charlotte," he said, scratching her under the chin. "She's a good mama to those babies."

You held out your hand for the cat to smell and you smiled when she nuzzle your hand. "Children, come here. Gentle. Like this."

Each of the children slowly approached and let the cat smell their fingers before they gently ran their hands down her back. 

Ezra scooted over on his knees towards the nest. He pulled out the box that Charlotte's kittens were in and beckoned you over.

"Now here are her babies," he said. "Be careful, they are just figuring out they can use those claws of theirs."

There were six tiny kittens in total in the box and Ezra showed each one off to you, much to the delight of the children.

"Do they have names?" Aiden asked as he knelt beside Ezra. "Like what about this little gray one?"

"Smoke," Ezra said. He reached into the box and picked the tiny thing up and passed it to Aiden. "Two hands. Just so."

Aiden grinned down at the cat and then at you. "Mama! Look!"

"I see him, love," you said.

"I want to hold the white one!" Marie cried, scrambling over to sit in Ezra's lap. 

He looked slightly startled when she plopped herself down and looked over at you for your approval. When you said nothing, he gently arranged Marie's hands and then placed the kitten safely into her arms. "Cleo," he told her.

Henry bent to pet Charlotte some more when a small black and white kitten attempting to climb out of the box caught his eye. 

"Ah, now this is the one that's always getting into something," Ezra said, handing the kitten to Henry. "Percy."

You smiled at how excited the children were. This was such a stark difference in how your situation looked this morning. Even still, you couldn't help but wonder what, if anything, was Ezra's motivation for helping you. You stood up and exited the barn. It was all too much. Thoughts rushed through your head at breakneck speed. How were you going to get out of here?

"Are you alright, Princess?" Ezra asked as he poked his head out of the door. He stepped out and looked at you, frowning slightly when he saw that you were upset. "There is nothing to worry about here. The supply freighter will be here in a few weeks. You will be able to go back home and resume a normal life. I understand the predicament that you are currently in, I do, but again, I can assure you that you have no reason to fear me."

You wiped your eyes and nodded. "I just don't know how to explain this to my children," you whispered. "All of this, I mean. I don't even know how to explain it to myself, really."

Ezra looked out across the yard as the shadows grew and stretched in the rapidly dimming light. He sighed and turned back to you. "I wish I had a proper answer for you. And I will try to help you get to safety when the time comes. But allow me to be of some comfort while you are here. I have an extra room that you are more than welcome to."

"And what is it, exactly, that you want in return?"

Ezra thought for a moment, a pensive look falling across his face. He looked down at the ground and then at you. "If you will forgive the pun, I could use a hand around here."

You wanted to roll your eyes so badly, but you let yourself smile. If Ezra could still make light of his own situation, you might be able to as well.

"I will do the best I can," you said. "I do appreciate it."

Ezra nodded and then smiled. He glanced into the barn for a moment to check on the children before he looked back at you again. 

"I did also want to apologize for my earlier behavior," he said. When you looked confused, he continued. "When I asked about your husband. Forgive me, it was not my place to ask such a personal question. Sometimes I often forget what is considered appropriate conversation among civilized adults. My previous line of work did not generate the most pleasant company, and Muir is not much better. I will not press any more questions onto you if you do not wish to answer them. But I am happy to help you work through any thoughts you may have about your situation."

You pulled your robe over yourself as a breeze swept through the yard. The knapsack was still in the house and you would have to wait until after the children were taken care of to wash and change.

"Do you have something else to wear?" Ezra asked.

"I have a change of clothes," you replied. 

"Is it another one of the most impractical nightgowns that I have ever seen?" he chuckled, glancing at your clothes again. "Might I say, Princess, that in the wind, you might resemble a specter. And one that I, much like the dashing Heathcliff, would be most eager to be haunted by."

You were thankful for the growing darkness to hide the blush that dusted your cheeks. 

"Why do you call me that?" you asked. "I do have a name."

"I am aware," he replied. "And I apologize if you find the nickname offensive. I will happily call you something else, all you need to do is ask. But when I saw you waltz into that cantina today like you owned it, you looked like something out of a fairy tale. Ergo, Princess."

"Meet many princesses, do you, Mr. Ezra?"

He chuckled at your own nickname. "I daresay you are the first. But even that is a lie. For you are not a princess, but a duchess."

You sighed and nodded. "It's true. I am a duchess. I wish I could give you a good reason as to how I ended up here, but it's all so confusing."

"I am sure you will get the answers you're looking for," he said. 

"I should put the children to bed," you said softly. 

"I will take your bag up to the spare room," he replied. "And once you put those little birds in the bath, I will happily show you the rest of the house."

"Thank you, Mr. Ezra," you murmured as you turned into the shed to fetch the children. 

Ezra nodded and gave you that boyish smile again before he turned to go back to the little house.

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back to chapter 2! I'm so happy with the response on tumblr to this story!   
> Drop me a line there! @smarchit


	3. Chapter 3

"Mr. Ezra," Henry called ahead as you walked back to the little house. He jogged a little to keep up with the older man's stride. "Why do you only have one arm?"

Your jaw dropped. It was, you supposed, only a matter of time before one of the children asked it. The fact that it was Henry surprised you slightly, as you honestly thought Marie would ask first. "Henry Avery!" you cried in surprise. "Shame on you, I taught you better than to ask things like that."

Ezra laughed and shook his head. "It's quite alright, Princess, don't worry about it. It's actually quite an interesting story. You see, I lost it to a six-fingered man. Villainous man, you see--"

"I know that story!" Henry cried. "You're making it up!"

"Oh, you wound me," Ezra laughed. "Fine. I was battling my arch-nemesis when he cut it off and dramatically revealed that he was my real father!"

"Come on!" Aiden shouted from beside you. "We know that one too!"

"Your highness, you have very well-read children," he said, turning to face you. "It makes it extraordinarily difficult to pull the proverbial wool over their eyes. Fine then, if you must know, I lost it to pirates. One, an innocent, mind you, was protecting her hide. I admit that my injury was more than justified."

You gave Henry a look and frowned at him. He really should know better. "I'm sorry, Mr. Ezra," you said, "My children know they shouldn't ask personal things like that."

"Oh, that's quite alright," Ezra said as he opened up the front door to the house. "Inquiring minds want to know. And children tend to ask the best questions, after all."

"Tell Mr. Ezra thank you for today," you said, putting your hands behind your back. "And go upstairs and wash up. I will be up shortly." You motioned for the children to go upstairs before you turned back to Ezra. "I am so grateful for what you did today. I don't think I can ever thank you enough. You very well may have saved our lives."

Ezra tutted and waved his hand away. "I am just thankful I was there when I was. Some day, you will have to tell me how you came upon our little haven. That can be my thanks." With that, he turned and walked up the stairs, your knapsack in hand. 

Once the children had finally settled down into the small guest bedroom, you slowly, silently, crept out and shut the door behind you. All you needed was for Marie to ask for her third glass of water or for one more story. You were exhausted from the day's events. There was only so much excitement you could take for one day. 

You spotted Ezra across the hall in his own room, gathering up a few items to take downstairs with him. He looked up at you and smiled as he finished collecting his things.

On the short walk back to the house from the barn, before Henry had asked his rather inappropriate question, Ezra had insisted you take his bedroom since it was larger. You stated that you wanted to stay with the children in case they got frightened in the night. Ezra had pointed out that the spare room and the main bedroom were directly across the tiny, cramped upstairs hallway from one another. If the children became frightened, they would be able to just run across the hall and get you. 

You had felt terrible about commandeering Ezra's bed when he first suggested it after you had put the children to bed. He should have his own bed to sleep in since he had so generously opened his home to you.

"Princess, think nothing of it," he said as he cleared off a few books from the bedside table. "I would not be able to sleep in here knowing you were uncomfortable elsewhere."

He had managed to locate an old hammock he had back from his harvesting days in a storage bin somewhere in the crawlspace. All it needed was a good knot tied off from a rafter and it was good to go. Ezra explained that he kept the tiny wood burning stove going all night anyway, so any worry you may have had about it being too cold was washed away.

After you gave yourself a quick scrub down in the basin in the bedroom, you did your best to wash out the mud from your nightgown. Hopefully the worst of them would come out with a better wash soon. You hung the damp nightgown and robe from a hook by the window and climbed into the bed.

As you were drifting off, you couldn't help but notice how  _ nice  _ Ezra's blankets smelled. His bedding, you imagined, smelled exactly like how he did. Earthy, with just the softest tang of sweat, combined with a pleasant herbal mix. You hadn't smelled something so wonderful since your husband passed. If anything, this smell was far better.

You rolled over, pressed your nose against the pillow, and slipped off into a dreamless sleep.

The next morning, you were awoken by delighted chatter coming through the open window. Sunlight streamed in and warmed your cheeks as you slowly opened your eyes. 

It took a second to remember where you were. The events of the previous day flooded back and you sighed. It hadn't been a dream. You were stuck on this planet, Muir, as Ezra had called it. 

In the daylight, you took the time to glance around Ezra's bedroom. Bundles of drying flowers and herbs hung from the ceiling, no doubt adding to the scent of his blankets. The walls were barely decorated, except for one tiny round mirror that hung near the door.

You swung your legs out of bed and fetched your nightgown from the hook. Blessedly, it was dry and no longer smelled like dirt from the trek through the woods. 

Peaking into the children's room, you were surprised to find the bed was already made, with Marie's stuffed dog settled neatly against the pillows. 

You followed the voices down the narrow stairs and out the front door to the yard. It seemed as though the children were quite busy with "helping" Ezra around the farm. You had to wonder just how much work was actually getting done. 

"Mama!" Marie screeched when she spotted you. She took off running full sprint and launched herself into your arms. "Mama, mama! Mr. Ezra showed us the animals! He said we could help him take care of them!"

"Oh, did he?" you asked, tucking a curl behind her ear. "And are you listening to Mr. Ezra and doing what he asks you?"

She nodded excitedly. "Yes, mama. He said I can gather eggs from the chickens."

Ezra wandered over, a small basket in his hand and a smile on his face. "The key, little bird, is to not leave your hard work behind. We need these eggs to eat. They won't do us any good sitting in the basket next to the pen."

"Oh," she said sheepishly. "Sorry, Mr. Ezra."

"That's quite alright," he replied. "I heard no complaints from the girls, so you must've done a stellar job of gathering their eggs. You did a much better job than your brothers."

"Should I ask what they've gotten themselves into?" you asked, setting Marie down. She skipped off towards the barn, the little egg basket abandoned yet again.

"Oh, nothing bad," Ezra assured. "I tried teaching them to milk the goats. That went over about as well as you would expect it to, I suppose. The one boy seemed a faster learner than the other."

You chuckled and took the basket from him. "Henry was always a fast learner. He likes to do things hands-on, whereas Aiden tries to solve his problems with words."

Ezra smiled at the way you talked about your children. "Aiden and I are quite similar, I should say."

"Not always a bad thing," you replied. "He might make an excellent ruler some day."

"I've gotten myself into a few situations where I wished I would have sat back and assessed the situation first rather than running my mouth." He shrugged and ran a hand through his hair. "Many things might even have turned out differently if I thought about what I should say before I even said it."

You nodded and gave him a knowing smile. You knew what he was talking about, having wished yourself that you had kept your mouth shut several times while in court with your mother and grandmother. Not wanting to discuss your personal history with him just yet, you looked off to the field where you saw the boys gathering vegetables with one another.

"I'm sure the goat is unhappy," you hummed. "Violated, even."

"She chased them around the yard for twenty minutes or so afterwards before I put the boys out to work in the field," he chuckled, shaking his head. "I will teach those boys how to properly milk a goat."

"Would you like me to help with anything?" you asked, realizing that you hadn’t even offered your own hand around the farm. You tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. "I would love to assist in any way I can around here."

Ezra thought for a minute and looked around. "The only thing that comes to mind is the flower garden could use some tender loving care. I am loath to say that I have been neglecting it, sadly. There is, regrettably, only so much I am able to do one-handed."

You turned around to where Ezra had gestured with a nod and frowned at the tiny, overgrown plot. 

"I have seen less frightful cemeteries," you said dryly. You turned back to Ezra with a smile. "I am happy to help."

He nodded once as he bent to pick up the egg basket. "Princess, I am thrilled beyond reason that you are so eager to aid a poor scoundrel like myself."

"I wouldn't consider you a scoundrel, Mr. Ezra," you said, clasping your hands in front of you.

Ezra chuckled and blushed slightly. "Now, "Mr. Ezra" almost makes me sound like a dapper gentleman," he said, straightening his back, "And while I appreciate the title from the children, I fear it does not fit me."

"You don't like it?" you asked with a frown. You didn’t mean to offend him in any way, given it was just the proper way of addressing any man, but you’ve never met someone who minded the title.

"Just Ezra is fine for you to call me, miss," he said softly. "Calling me "Mr." makes me sound so formal."

"Ezra," you hummed with a smile. "You know, I believe you're right. That suits you much better."

Ezra ducked his head a bit and mumbled your name before he hurried off towards his house.

You walked towards the shed to collect a basket for any weeds that you would pull up in the garden. It wasn't as grand as the gardens at home, but at least you could tend to this one personally. You had a tiny personal garden on your balcony, and you were always able to keep it full and beautiful in the warmer months. A green thumb, your mother had once said. You always wished you could tend to the larger gardens instead of just overseeing their care.

For the short time you would be here, however, you were determined to make this tiny garden healthy and beautiful. It was the least you could do. 

Ezra had treated you all so kindly yesterday, and his intentions seemed to be true. You idly wondered why you immediately felt like you could trust him. His presence filled you with a sense of safety and security that you had not felt in so long.

You spread your robe down on the ground in front of the garden and got to work, yanking up weeds and grasses to the root. It was the only time when you were in the palace that you weren't expected to adhere to the strict dress code or rules set by your grandmother. No gowns or headdresses, or gloves. No constricting clothing. Just the dirt on your hands and under your nails that grandmother would then chide you about later.

You didn't even notice until Ezra tapped you on the shoulder that the sun had risen high in the sky. 

"Lunchtime," he said brightly. "Come and enjoy the fruits of this morning's labor. Get out of the sun for a while - your shoulders are fit to burn if you stay out here much longer in the midday sun, Princess. And you really should eat something too. The last thing we need is for you to pass out from hunger."

As if on cue, your stomach rumbled loudly, protesting the fact that you hadn't eaten breakfast. It was easy to lose yourself in a garden.

"Already?" you asked, wiping sweat from your brow.

"Now you sound like your flock, Princess," he chuckled, extending his hand to help you up. Your hand gently grabbed onto his, a small noise of strain coming from your mouth. Your muscles ached from being in the same position for so long. "Come, see the feast they've made for us. I think you will be quite impressed with them."

He offered you his arm to take as you dusted off your skirts, and you hooked yours through his as you walked back towards the house. 

"Hello, mama!" Henry said when you entered. It looked like he'd tried to clean up a little, though there was still dirt on his brow. 

"Hello, my darlings," you cooed, bringing them all in for a hug. You looked at the wooden kitchen table with pride at what you saw. The children (aided heavily by Ezra, no doubt) had indeed prepared a feast for lunch. Vegetables covered nearly of the table, with small plates of cheese placed precariously throughout. "My goodness, you've all been very busy!"

"Mr. Ezra helped us!" Aiden said, giving you a squeeze with his arms. "He said we had to make a meal fit for a duchess!"

Ezra blushed as he moved around you towards his seat. It was always the little ones who blabbered a bit too much, not that you would find anything in that statement, hopefully. "Or a princess."

You smiled and kissed the tops of each of the children's heads. "Well, eat up! I'm so proud of all of you!"

The children beamed and scrambled to sit down at the mismatched kitchen chairs. As they began to eat, you were very surprised when there were no complaints about eating their vegetables. Back home, it was always a mini-battle at the dinner table to get the most finicky Marie to so much as touch a green with her fork.

"Mr. Ezra said he might like to take us fishing!" Aiden said between bites.

"Yeah!" Henry piped up. "He said there's a little cave we can explore along the way!"

Ezra looked over at you expectantly. "If that's alright with you. I could take the boys -- and Marie, if you would like a day of respite."

"Perhaps," you considered, "If you are all extraordinarily well behaved."

You couldn't help but laugh as all three children immediately straightened their posture and began to take more delicate bites of their food.

"We've never been fishing," Aiden chirped. He swallowed his bite of food and looked towards Ezra. "Is it hard?"

"No," he replied. "It's fairly simple. If I am able to do it short-handed, I would like to think it is a fairly easy task. Didn't your daddy ever take you boys out fishing? Or hunting?"

"We don't have a daddy, sir," Aiden said softly. Realizing what he'd just said, he looked to you with worry in his eyes.

Henry hung his head and put down his food. He glanced over at you like he expected you to yell.

"Oh, well-- I am terribly sorry," Ezra said sincerely. He was looking more at you than he was at the twins. "I had no way of knowing. I-I truly do apologize."

"It's alright," you said around the lump in your throat. Over the short years since his passing, you’ve learned to hide your grief well, never letting tears slip in front of the child. Nevermind a man you had just met. "You didn't know."

"Can we still go with Mr. Ezra?" Henry asked softly. His eyes were large and watery behind his glasses. Despite the fact that he and his brother were only a few years old when their father was killed, he still claimed to remember him.

"Yes," you said softly. "Of course you can go."

"Now, it'll take me some time to gather the proper materials for fishing," Ezra explained. "A week or two, maybe. You've best listen to your mama and be on your best behavior and I'll take you. Alright?"

The children cheered and you caught Ezra's eye across the table. He offered you a small, apologetic smile. You gave him a nod and a smile, hoping he understood that it was okay - that you were okay. 

A few days after you'd arrived, Ezra discovered you were a much better cook than he was. He was a bit sheepish approaching you about it at first. He didn't want to ask too much of you and didn't know if that would be stepping out of line. But after the third night of the same soup Ezra had made, you were more than eager to take over the cooking. 

You thought that it would all go much faster if you did it rather than Ezra attempting to chop vegetables by himself.

You found after the first night that you didn't mind sleeping in Ezra's bed at all. You actually looked forward to it throughout the day. It made you feel safe when you curled up in the sheets. More than once, he offered to wash the bedding but you politely declined each time, stating you didn't want him to do any more work than he had to.

One morning, you realized the few changes of clothes you had brought from the pod were in need of a good, thorough wash, especially after a few days of running around and playing on the tiny farm. 

You walked around the spare room and collected the children's dirty clothes from the floor of the spare room and tossed them into a basket. It wouldn't take long for you to wash them. 

After you gathered up the children's bedding and clothes and your own clothing, you stepped out into the yard. It was a bright, beautiful day, not even a wispy cloud in sight. The children were running around before they began their chores for the day. They had taken to farm life quite well, you thought. 

Ezra was lounging on a chair outside the house, doing his best to snap beans one handed as he kept an eye on your children. He acknowledged you with a nod as he tossed the beans into the bowl at his feet.

"Good morning, Princess," he said with a small smile. He looked at you with those warm eyes and you wanted to melt into the yard. "Sleep well?" 

"Oh yes, quite well, thank you," you replied. "I'm going to do a bit of laundry. The children are out of clean clothes. As am I, I'm afraid."

"Now that's a pity," Ezra teased, dropping his hand to dangle between his spread legs. He coughed to hide his blush. "Would you like to borrow something of mine? I mean, just so you can clean all of your things."

You considered his offer for a moment before you nodded. If his clothes smelled anything like his bed, it was an opportunity you would be a fool to turn down. 

Fifteen minutes later, you were walking down to a washbasin, the basket resting squarely on your hip. Ezra had handed you a deep green thermal shirt that came clear down to your thighs and an old pair of compression pants for you to do your wash in. The smell of his shirt, as you slipped it over your head, was intoxicating. 

As you busied yourself with the laundry, you heard Ezra inform the children that they had five more minutes before they had to start their chores. 

_ He sounded like their father, _ you thought with a smile. You quickly shook that thought from your head and went back to scrubbing a grass stain from Aiden's shirt.  _ I just met him. I cannot have such thoughts about a man I just met. Especially someone like him. _

However, you couldn't justify why, exactly, he had to be off limits. Truth be told, the only reason you could come up with was that he was, essentially, still a stranger. 

You sighed and abandoned the shirt for now. Perhaps you needed a stronger soap to try and get the stain out. It was possible that Ezra would have a suggestion for how to remove the stubborn stain. You would readily admit you didn't quite know how to properly do laundry. It had always been done for you. 

As you walked back towards the house, you checked in on the children as they began their chores. 

"Boys, are you behaving?" you asked as you poked your head into the barn. Over the last few days, you had heard of their progress from Ezra, who looked so proud when he talked about them both. It warmed your heart.

"Yes, mama," Henry replied, nodding at the goat he was carefully milking. "Miss Jane is quite pleasant this morning. No complaints so far."

"And Miss Emma and I are starting to get along," Aiden said with a gap-tooth smile. He lifted a hand to pat the sweet brown goat a few times before he went back to milking her as well.

You chuckled at their mannerisms. It really didn't take long for them to adapt to their environment and the people in it. Too often you had wondered about how much of their personalities were absorbed from you or their grandmother. They were just children.

"I'm finishing up the wash," you said to them. "I need to find a stronger soap because  _ someone  _ slid around in the grass too much."

Aiden looked back up at you and gave you a little pout. "I tried to be careful, mama. I did."

"I know, darling," you hummed. "It's quite alright. Be careful, I will be nearby if you need me, and Mr. Ezra is as well."

"Yes, mama," they mumbled in unison as they went back to their work. 

You smiled as you walked across the yard to find Marie. The chickens had been undisturbed, and you hadn't seen Marie run past with the basket.

"Up there, little bird," you heard Ezra encourage. "Woah, watch your balance now. If you fell while trying to get a glimpse, I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

When you rounded the corner, you saw Ezra with Marie on his shoulders, his one hand firmly holding her as she craned her little neck to look at something. 

Marie gasped, and for a brief second, you were worried she'd fallen. "I see them!" she said, amazement evident in her voice.

You melted when you saw Ezra's smile as he held her above his head. He looked up, arching his neck so he could try to see her better.

"How many are there, little birdie?" he asked.

You could see Marie counting on her chubby fingers before she looked down at him. "Four!"

"Splendid!" he laughed, bouncing her slightly on his shoulders. He let her look at the nest for a few more seconds before he bent down so she could climb off.

"Off you get, birdie," he said as you finally walked over to them. "Come on."

"Hi, mama!" Marie gasped when she saw you. "Mama, Mr. Ezra showed me the little birds up there!" She pointed up to the little nest above her head in the tree. From here, you could barely see it.

"Oh?" you asked, bending to pick her up. You gave her cheek a kiss and smiled broadly as you tried to look up and see it.

"Mhm! There's this many!" she explained, holding up four fingers to show you. 

"That's wonderful, darling!" you said, tucking an errant curl behind her ear. "Were you gentle with them?"

She nodded quickly. "I was just looking!"

"Good girl," you said as you set her down. You handed her the little basket she used for collecting her eggs. "Go fetch us some eggs, my love."

She nodded and started to run towards the chicken coop when she skidded to a halt and came running back.

Ezra raised a brow and looked down at her.

Marie curtsied and looked at you and then him. "Thank you, Mr. Ezra, for showing me the birdie eggs."

"Of course, little bird," he said, offering a bow in return. "If you want to look at them again, come ask me first. If mama is in there, she might chase you away and you could get hurt."

"Yes, Mr. Ezra," she said. Marie picked up her basket and sprinted towards the chickens.

You and Ezra chuckled and watched her go. Marie loved it here. In the back of your mind, you wondered how hard it would be to take her and the boys back to the palace when the time came. It would quite possibly crush them.

"Penny for your thoughts, Princess?" Ezra asked quietly. He leaned against the tree and studied your face carefully. "I would love to know what is going on in your head."

"Nothing," you said softly. "I mean -- do you have anything to get grass stains out of the boys' clothes?"

Ezra nodded slightly. "Of course. I'll take the shirt and bring it back to you." He walked away back to the house, one hand in his pocket. 

You returned to the laundry and hung up what had already been cleaned while you waited for Ezra to bring Aiden's shirt back. As you clipped the clothes to the line, it almost felt as if you had been here your whole life, rather than just a few days. The little farm was the most at peace you had felt in years. There was a serenity that encompassed you here, quite like that of a favorite story.

You were startled from your thoughts by Ezra handing you the shirt, still sopping wet, but stain-free.

"I do apologize for the mess," he chuckled. "It is not that easy to simply wring out a wet cloth for me anymore."

"This is perfect, Ezra," you replied, taking the shirt from him. As you reached to take it from him, your fingers brushed against his and you nearly dropped it in the dirt. The briefest touch seemed to course through your veins, burning you from within.

"Sorry," he chuckled, "My hands can be quite rough sometimes. Believe it or not, Princess, I did, at one point, have hands as soft as your own. I am, however self-made, and with it, comes a certain boorishness most people find to be crass."

You gently touched his hand again and smiled at the way your heart seemed to skip a beat. "I quite enjoy a quick wit and, I don't mind your - how did you put it? Boorish behavior."

Ezra chuckled and turned your hand over in his own. "A scoundrel, your highness. That's all I am."

You opened your mouth to reply, but a peal of laughter erupted from the barn. The boys must have gotten into something because Marie came tearing around the corner with tears in her eyes.

"No!" she shouted as she ran past you both. "It's  _ icky!  _ Get it away!"

Aiden came sprinting across the yard with something in his hands. He had a wicked glint in his eyes. "Come see, Marie! It won't bite you!"

"No!"

Ezra glanced at you and shrugged as he stepped out into Aiden's path. The boy came to a screeching halt and almost fell over in surprise at how quickly Ezra moved. "Hang on there, let me see what you have," he said, holding out his hand. He took it into his hand and chuckled. "Oh, come now, it's just a little grub. Marvelous little creatures, certainly. Not so good for our garden, and  _ especially _ not good for tormenting your poor sister with."

You smiled and looked down at your daughter who had buried her face in your thigh. "See, my darling?" you soothed. "It's not so bad!"

"It's ugly!" Marie wailed. She balled her fists up in your shirt and shook her head. "Yucky!"

"Your brother is just doing what brothers do, little birdie," Ezra said, handing the grub back to Aiden. He came over and knelt down beside her. "That bug will feed those baby birdies when they hatch - they love that kind of stuff!"

Marie lifted her head and wiped her eyes. "It's still yucky."

Ezra chuckled and tugged on her dress sleeve. "Maybe so, but it will make those babies happy."

You looked over at Aiden, who was rocking uncomfortably back and forth on his feet. He still had one hand cupped to hold the little grub. "Aiden Drake," you said, "Do you want to say something to your sister?"

"Sorry," he mumbled quietly before he took off running back towards the barn. 

You sighed and looked down at Marie and Ezra. "Are you all better now?" you asked her.

She nodded and wiped her eyes. "Yes, mama. Thank you, Mr. Ezra."

"You are quite welcome," he said with a smile. "Go on, why don't you finish collecting those eggs for us?" 

At his suggestion, Marie lit up with a grin and skipped off back to the pen.

Ezra groaned as he stood up. "I dare say I'm getting too old to get on the ground like that," he chuckled. "They are good kids. Remarkable little things, aren't they? You should be proud of them - all three of them."

You looked away and smiled, tucking your hair behind your ear. "I am very proud of them."

"And you make an excellent mother to them," Ezra said sincerely. "They are truly blessed to have you."

You smiled and nodded at his compliment. Ever since Marie was born, you had tried so hard to be both parents to them. As they got older, it was getting increasingly difficult to do so. You were always afraid you were doing something wrong and it was a relief to hear someone say you were doing a good job. You just wished that you could give them a proper father some day.

Ezra wandered off towards the house, whistling a tune as he went along. He turned briefly and gave you that crooked smile and jerked his head for you to join him.


	4. Chapter 4

Three weeks or so after your arrival, as promised, you allowed Ezra to take the boys fishing if they were all well behaved. Aside from a week or so prior when Aiden had tormented Marie with a fat little grub, they had been absolute angels. They helped you whenever you asked, and helped Ezra sometimes even before he would ask. 

"Tomorrow, perhaps," Ezra said one evening after dinner. He rested his hand in his lap and looked across the table at the children. "I think tomorrow is a marvelous day for fishing."

Henry and Aiden gasped excitedly and looked at one another before they turned to Ezra. 

"Really!" Aiden cried, bouncing on his feet. "Do you mean it? We can go fishing!"

"Of course," Ezra said, his expression serious. "I did make a promise to you, did I not? And your mother did say if you were exceptionally well-behaved, you could go."

Two eager faces turned to you, as if for confirmation of this monumental declaration. 

"We shall all go," you said with a smile. "We can pack a picnic lunch and books to read for tomorrow."

Marie gasped and clapped her hands as the boys let out triumphant cries and hugged you tightly. 

"Easy, easy," Ezra warned gently. "Don't squeeze the life out of your poor mother. Come on, let's get these dishes cleaned and you boys can help me get things ready."

Marie climbed down from her chair and gathered up her plate and cup before placing both in the wash tub. She turned to you as you collected Ezra's silverware in your hands. "Mama," she said, trying to be as polite as she could be. "Can I go help Henry and Aiden and Mr. Ezra?"

"For a bit," you said, placing the dishes in the basin. "It's almost bedtime for little bugs."

Marie pouted and folded her arms over her chest. "I'm not sleepy, mama. Please? Can I please go help?"

You smiled and crouched down to her height. You gently took her hands in your own and kissed her palms. She looked so much like you, according to your mother. You were hard to convince, for you always saw your husband's eyes staring back at you with curiosity. It had always been hard to look at your children, to see him when he was no longer there. 

Now, it felt like you were healing. There was no longer an ache in your heart when you thought of him. Going into his study, exactly the way he had left it, no longer caused you to break down. Looking at your children didn't fill you with an overwhelming sense of grief. 

Your children had never known their father. Not enough to remember him, anyway. Marie never even lived in the same world as he did. 

Was it time for you to finally move on? It would have been what he wanted for you - happiness. A life.

"My darling," you said, stroking your thumb along her rounded cheek. "I think that is a splendid idea."

"Perfectly splendid," Marie repeated with a smile. She wrapped her arms around your neck and kissed your cheek. After a moment she skipped off to join the boys outside.

For a moment, you stood by the small kitchen window and watched Marie run to where her brothers and Ezra were huddled together in the yard. Ezra was so patient with them. He never raised his voice or got frustrated. It was like he was meant for this.

And, oh, the children loved him. They didn't even need to tell you. You just knew. You could see it in their eyes. They did tell you though, quite often, as a matter of fact. Almost every day they told you how they wanted to stay on Muir forever and explore like Mr. Ezra.

Outside, Ezra picked up Marie and rested her on his hip, his arm wrapped around her as she clung to him. She squealed with laughter as he motioned with a jerk of the head for the boys to follow him to the barn.

*

"You'll want to be very quiet so as not to disturb the fish," Ezra explained, keeping his voice hushed for emphasis. He looked at the twins with their homemade fishing poles and grinned. 

You were watching from the shore, safe and dry on the picnic blanket you'd dug out early that morning. Marie was beside you as she read her picture book, sounding the words out loud as best she could. 

Warm sunlight filtered through the trees and a cool breeze lifted the lace sleeves of your dress from your shoulders. It was shaping up to be a beautiful day, just as Ezra had predicted. 

"Careful now, son," Ezra warned, reaching towards Aiden. "You go whipping that pole around and you're liken to catch your brother in the seat of his pants with the fishing hook."

You saw that mischievous glint in Aiden's eyes and he grinned. You just raised a brow and stared at him until he caught your eye. He looked away suddenly, the gleam disappearing as quickly as it arrived.

"Mama," Marie mumbled, tapping on your arm. "What's this word?" She pointed to a word in her book and looked up at you expectantly.

"Sound it out," you encouraged, looking at the book. You helped her follow along with your finger as she sounded the word out.

"A... art-eye-kick?" she stammered, uncertain and shaky in tone.

"Not bad," you said with a smile. "It's 'arctic,' you said. "Try it again."

"Arr-tic," she repeated, sliding her finger under the word. "Better?"

You chuckled. "Better. There's three sounds, not two. But you did a wonderful job, little bug."

Marie beamed and then looked down at her book again. "What about this word?"

"Penguin," you hummed, sparing a glance down at the word and accompanying illustration.

"What's that?"

"An animal that was around a very long time ago," you explained. "Some of them are probably still around a very long way from here."

"It's got funny hair, mama," she said with a giggle as she , pointed to the picture. "Like Mr. Ezra's!"

You laughed softly and ruffled her hair a bit as you glanced up at Ezra. He was watching you both out of the corner of his eye, a warm smile on his face. "Mr. Ezra doesn't look like a penguin!" 

"I am inclined to agree with you," Ezra called to you as he recast his net. "Though one can't argue with her solid logic, Princess."

You smiled and leaned back on your elbows to enjoy the sunlight. The morning dew was still cool enough to wet your skin as you dug your bare toes into the soft grass.

Henry and Aiden had figured out the basics of casting a line fairly easily, it seemed, and soon they were wading towards the slightly deeper water to cast their lines, despite your better judgement. With the two of them with their poles and Ezra with a small net, they were sure to catch something for dinner. 

You pulled your book out of the picnic basket and opened it up to where you had left off from the previous night. The gentle sound of the water made for a pleasant background noise to accompany your reading and it was easy to lose yourself in the story. It was a scandalous romance, your book. An eager young woman keeping a secret romance with a stone-hearted mercenary - wholly obscene and tender all at once. It was a story you would have stuffed under the mattress as a girl to keep your grandmother from finding out about it. You found yourself imagining it were you in that scenario. It had always happened when you read books like that. It used to be your husband as the object of the heroine's affections, but now, someone else was slowly taking the place of the brooding mercenary. 

As if he were sensing your thoughts, Ezra called for your attention, his hand gripping the net tightly as he stood knee deep in the water.

"Princess, I believe we have our first catch of the day!" Ezra exclaimed as he tugged the net out of the water. Trapped in the net was a shiny little fish, about the length of Ezra's forearm. It shone pink and green, sparkling in the sun as it flapped in its confines.

"You mean you didn't catch anything bigger?" Aiden asked as he recast his line. "That's so small!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, you'll have to forgive me, sir, I forgot you were a fishing expert," Ezra chided, walking towards the bank. He dropped the net to the ground and watched the fish as it flopped around for a bit.

You laughed and closed your book before standing. The grass gave way to gravel and mud as you approached the bank where Ezra stood over his catch.

"What do you think?" Ezra asked, nodding down at his net. 

"Oh yes," you replied. "Maybe a few dozen more of these and we can make something with it."

"Your words cut like a knife, Princess," he teased, putting his hand over his heart. "Bring that box over here, would you? I want to keep this little one fresh. One catch is better than none."

You brought the box over to him and pried open the lid. The smell coming out of it was horrific, but you didn't comment as Ezra tossed the fish inside. 

"Are you boys alright for a moment by yourselves?" Ezra asked. "I want to have a word with your mother."

"Yes, Mr. Ezra," Henry replied. He recast his line and tried his best to keep still, just as he was told so as not to disturb any fish. 

You looked at Ezra, confused by his request to speak in private. He led you by a gentle hand at your elbow over to a small cluster of trees, still well within view of the children, but far enough that you wouldn't be disturbed or overheard.

"What is this about, Ezra?" you asked, worry evident in your voice. "What's wrong?"

Ezra lifted his hand and shook his head. "No, no, nothing is wrong," he said quickly. He bit his lip and sighed for a moment before continuing. "It's just that... do you remember how I told you about that supply freighter that comes through about once a month or so? Well, it turns out that we won't be getting that freighter for quite some time. I found out from Jacinta down at the store yesterday morning. She's been---"

Ezra's words faded into a drone in the background, drowned out by a roar in your ears. You felt your heart sink to your stomach and you reached out to steady yourself against the tree. The air felt like it had been pushed from your lungs and you stared blankly at Ezra as you tried to comprehend what he had just told you.

He reached out to steady you, his hand firmly on your waist to keep you upright. "Woah, Princess. Stay with me now. It's gonna be alright, understand? I have a plan for how you and your flock are going to get home. It might take some time, but I can get you there."

"How?" you asked. Your voice cracked and Ezra winced at how afraid you sounded. You looked over at your children, carefree and happy, and then back at Ezra, who was watching you with a worried expression. "How are you going to get us home?"

"I haven't fully fleshed out all those fine details yet, Princess, but I am making a promise to you right here, right now, that you will safely get back home." Ezra rubbed a soothing circle with his thumb on your hip and you reached down to put your hand over his. Thinking you were going to push his hand away, he began to pull back, but you grabbed his hand and held it tight. He looked a little surprised, but then smiled softly. "I won't abandon you, I promise. I will do whatever it takes."

You took a deep, shaky breath and then nodded. "Alright. I trust you. What shall I do to help you?"

Ezra chuckled. "You're asking what you can do to help me, help you? That can get confusing if we aren't careful, so for now, let's just say the only thing I want you to do is not tell your flock. We don't want them to be worried too."

You brushed your fingers against Ezra's hand and sighed. He was right, you figured. If you told them, then there would be no chance in trying to calm the children down. Might as well not say anything in the first place.

Ezra smiled and then chuckled as he looked at you. "I would fly you home myself, Princess. It's just a little more complicated than that. But what's life without tests?"

"There's purpose to those tests," you replied. "Often there's rewards that come with them."

Ezra smiled, his eyes flicking across your face. He pulled his hand from your hip, your own fingers dragging against his.

You looked over at the boys as they stood like little sentries in the shallows and motioned for Ezra to walk with you back to the picnic blanket. He held out his arm for you to take and you looped your arm through his as you wandered back. His touch comforted the frantic racing of your heart. 

Marie was sound asleep, her book open to a page on people who used to live in houses made of ice, her thumb pulled between her lips. It was something she never fully kicked from infancy, one that your grandmother had often scolded you for as a mother and tried to force your daughter from continuing the habit. You didn't mind it though. If it was the only negative habit she ever developed, she would be far better off than half the population of the galaxy. You never thought it a glaring issue and therefore never corrected it. It infuriated your grandmother.

Both you and Ezra took a seat on the blanket on either side of Marie. He stretched his legs out and sighed happily as he looked around.

"You really did pick out a perfect spot for picnicking, Princess," he hummed contentedly. He looked down at Marie and chuckled softly. "Your little one here seems to be enjoying it too."

You sat in comfortable silence for a moment, enjoying the birdsong and the sound of the water.

"May I ask you a question, Ezra?" you inquired, looking over at him. When he nodded, you continued. "A while ago you mentioned med vacs come maybe once a month if you're lucky. What do you do if someone is in danger?"

"Field medicine, typically," he replied, watching the boys recast their lines. "Though sometimes your standard bullet is more merciful than any doctor. But when on a job, one must choose the best option given the situation."

"Is that what happened," you asked, gesturing at his missing arm. "That is, of course if you don't mind my asking? Forgive me if I don't believe the story that you told the children a few days ago. It's been eating away at my curiosity."

Ezra grinned and raised the stump of his arm, inspecting the neatly pinned shirt sleeve. "Not at all. This was the result of a rather unfortunate incident out on the Green - one of Bakhroma's moons, see? Had a run in with another prospector whose eyes were bigger than his brain. So I shot him and his daughter shot me in retaliation, thinking I was out to harm her."

You nodded and scooted a bit closer, waiting to hear more. This was the first time Ezra was sharing something with you about his past. Despite the fact that he rarely stopped talking, he often fell silent when you inquired about him. 

"We traveled together for a while, her and I, all the while my arm was festering in the dust. The Green kills, see? It gets inside and rots you from the inside out. Eats away at you. After a few agonizing cycles, I had no choice. It was life or limb. So the girl did the only thing that she could do, and I commend her for her steady hands and even steadier nerve."

"I'm sorry," you murmured. "I can't even imagine what that was like."

Ezra simply shrugged. He had a distant look in his eyes, as if he were trying to distance himself from the whole story. "She saved my life, such as it is, but in doing so, she created a whole new ordeal. See, no one wants to hire a one-armed harvester. Major liability, apparently. So here I am."

"And what about the girl?"

Ezra chuckled and hummed as he reminisced. "Cee is much better off than when I first met her. Went back to Central for school. She drops by every now and then - makes sure I'm not getting into any trouble." 

He leaned back on his elbow and looked out across the creek to where the boys were fishing and smiled in spite of the story he just regaled you with.

"What is it?" you asked softly, not wanting to break his thought.

He shook his head and smiled slightly. "Nothing. It's nothing."

Not once had you ever heard Ezra not want to continue talking. It stunned you and you almost wondered if you'd done something to offend him. Perhaps asking him about what happened brought up too many bad memories for him to handle. 

But Ezra turned back to you then and rested his hand on the blanket between you, picking idly at a loose string. "What are you gonna do when you get home? Back to your old life?"

You hadn't expected him to ask that question, and quite frankly, you didn't really have an answer. 

"I'm not sure," you said, drawing your knees to your chest. "I suppose I'll go back to my duties as duchess. The children will go back to their lessons and I will simply pick up where I left off, I suppose..." You trailed off, suddenly realizing how boring it all seemed compared to the last few weeks on the farm. Tears pricked at the corners of your eyes and you turned your head and brushed them away, not wanting him to see. 

"Do you want that?" he asked softly.

"O-of course I do," you stammered, your hand still raised to try and hide your tears. You found yourself caught off guard by his question. "Why wouldn't I? The children, they--"

"Hey now," Ezra soothed, reaching for your hand. "It's alright. I didn't mean to upset you. I understand you need to go back. I do."

You looked at him and sighed. There had been a weight on your chest for some time that you couldn't place the source of. Perhaps it was years of expectations and unreasonable standards you had been held to since you were Marie's age. Perhaps it was the constant pressure for you to raise your children like your husband hadn't died, that he was only away for a while. Whatever that weight was, it vanished as soon as Ezra squeezed your hand. 

"You don't need to let anyone tell you what to do," he said, turning on the blanket to look at you. "Or where to go, how to raise your own children, anything like that. You are free to make your own choices, Princess."

"How is it you always know just what to say?" you murmured, your voice thick with held back tears. "I am finding that to be true, though. These last few weeks have shown that to me. I am trying to be a good mother to my children."

"You are," he said softly. Ezra smiled and brushed his thumb against your knuckles. He looked down at your hands and then up at your face. It looked like he wanted to say something else, but he was interrupted by a triumphant cheer from the river. You both looked over at the boys, who were rushing back towards the bank, one fish dangling from Aiden's hook. 

"Mama! Mama!" he cried excitedly as he dashed towards you. "Look, mama! I caught a fish!"

Both you and Ezra stood up to meet him as he rushed over to show you his catch. The fish was a little longer than the one Ezra had caught, still with those shiny pink and green scales. 

"Oh, that's wonderful, darling!" you said, bending down to admire the fish. "He's beautiful, isn't he? We will have a feast, won't we?"

Aiden grinned and held the fish aloft for you and Ezra to look at. He looked incredibly pleased with himself.

"You mean you didn't catch anything bigger?" Ezra teased, parroting Aiden's earlier exclamation. He flashed you a wink and then laughed at the flabbergasted expression on Aiden's face. "I'm just pulling your leg, son, don't worry. You did an excellent job. Go ahead and throw it in this here cooler so we can take it home later."

Aiden carefully removed the hook like Ezra had taught him and placed it gently in the cooler beside Ezra's. He grabbed his fishing pole and looked up at you expectantly. "I'm gonna go see if I can catch more!"

"Be careful, my darling," you called after him. "Don't slip!"

As the day wore on, the cooler slowly filled with fish. Most were a standard size, according to Ezra, and some were smaller, about the size of your hand. Both were exceptional in taste as far as river fish went, or so Ezra claimed. You figured you could make just about anything palatable with the dried herbs from the garden. 

Late in the afternoon, long after lunch had been eaten and the children had exhausted themselves from playing in the river, it was getting ready to go back to the farm. You had to stop yourself from calling it home when collecting the children. No need to get their hopes up, you figured. Later tonight after the children were put to bed, you and Ezra would need to have a long conversation about getting you all home.

Henry patiently helped you fold up the picnic blanket and gently placed back into the basket for you. He even made sure everything had been picked up from the surrounding area so you wouldn't have to. Earlier, he had caught a few fish himself, but quickly abandoned his fishing for exploring the surrounding area. 

"Maybe I could find a lost civilization!" he had said before running off . He returned a while later, his pockets stuffed with rocks and flowers. Clutched in his fist were several puffy white flowers and he handed them to you with a dramatic sweeping bow that had made you laugh . You made sure to promise him that you would be careful with them until you reached the house.

You picked up the picnic basket and gently took hold of Marie's hand as you guided her to walk in front of you towards the little path you'd traveled earlier that morning. It wasn't a far walk from the farm, but you still didn't want to risk her getting lost.

Ezra dragged the cooler behind you two, the boys hanging back with him. They loved talking to Ezra as they walked - he often pointed out animal burrows or old gem deposits from back when Muir was a mining planet. There was a little rope bridge that was suspended over a rather high gully as the river wound its way through the forest. 

"Go on, little bug," you urged, nudging Marie to cross. She whined and hesitated for a moment before she crossed, the bridge shaking and swaying as she ran. You looked back to make sure Ezra and the boys were behind you before you crossed, not wanting to leave them too far behind.

As you spotted them coming around the small turn in the path, you began to cross the bridge yourself. The wood creaked and groaned under your weight as you neared the halfway point. 

You stepped forward, wanting to get off the bridge as quickly as you could. The wood suddenly splintered and cracked and fell apart under you.

For an instant, you were weightless, suspended in midair. You saw Marie's horrified expression as she watched you from the far side. Then you were falling, falling... falling. You couldn't even scream, your breath caught in your throat and unable to escape. 

You heard the children scream in terror as you plunged into the river. Above their cries, you heard Ezra shouting your name. Not your title, not your nickname. Your name. He sounded terrified, unable to do anything but watch you fall into the water.  You couldn't swim, you'd never learned how .  You didn't know how this was going to end . 

You hit the water with a violent crash and as you fell deeper into the water, you frantically thrashed your arms and legs, hoping you would be able to propel yourself to the surface. After an eternity, you touched down on the muddy river bottom. You felt something grab your leg and you quickly tried to pull it free. A sharp pain shot up from your ankle and you thrashed in the grip of whatever held you there. The water was cold and murky, hindering any attempts to try and free yourself. The icy water filled your lungs as you screamed for help, the bubbles the only indication of any sound leaving you. 

As darkness closed in on you, your only thoughts were of who was going to look after your children? Would your mother ever find out what happened? Will Ezra be alright?

_ Ezra... _

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man do I stink at suspense. I hope this is good!


	5. Chapter 5

All Ezra could do was watch in terror as she fell as he rounded the bend with the boys in tow. She didn't scream, didn't shout for help as she fell. He saw her disappear over the side of the ravine and into the water below. He dropped the cooler and shouted her name, hoping, praying that she heard him. 

"Stay here!" he called to the boys as he rushed to the side of the ravine. He wouldn't be able to jump without injuring himself. "Make sure your sister doesn't go anywhere!"

Ezra rushed off the path and slid down the sloping hillside, closer to where he could safely jump in. He kept his eye on the spot where the Duchess had fallen in, hoping to see her bob to the surface. When she didn't appear by the time he reached the bottom, he quickly unclasped his jacket and dove into the river after her.

The bubbles had stopped coming to the surface - he didn't have much time, and even less considering he couldn't swim as well as he used to. He'd have to think fast in order to save her, if it wasn't too late already.

As he sunk to the bottom, it became harder to see. Mud had swirled up from the bottom, clouding his vision. Through the murk, he saw the pale blue lace of her dress floating in the water. He kicked his legs towards her and wrapped his arm around her waist. As he tried to pull her free, he noticed her ankle had gotten tangled in the debris that collected in the mud and sand at the bottom of the river. It wouldn't budge on its own.

He dug his boots into the silt and quickly freed her foot. As she slowly began to ascend to the surface, he grabbed her by the waist again and kicked his legs to try and steer them both towards the bank. 

He breached the surface, coughing and sputtering as he dragged her onto the grass. She wasn't breathing.

"Shit," he grunted, wiping the water from his face. He looked up and saw the boys had slid down the hill after him. Marie was still climbing down on her side, screaming for her mother. "Shit! Aiden, I need you to go across the river and get your sister. Henry, I need you to hold your mother's nose for me."

"But, Mr. Ezra--"

"I need to breathe for her, kid," he quickly explained. "I can't do it one-handed."

Henry reached over and pinched her nose closed, his own cheeks stained with tears. He took a deep breath to steady himself as he watched Ezra closely. 

"Good, good. It's gonna be okay," Ezra soothed, pushing the duchess' hair from her mouth. He bit his lip and looked at Henry before mumbling an apology under his breath and lowering his mouth to hers. He placed his hand over her breast and felt her chest rise and fall with his breaths. Beneath his hand, he could feel the steady thumping of her heart. 

Henry sniffled and let out a little sob as he watched Ezra. He held his mother's hand in his lap, silently begging her to come back. 

"Alright, let go of her nose," he urged, sitting back up on his knees. Aiden had rejoined the group, holding Marie close to him as she screamed. Ezra took a deep breath and pumped her chest, trying to clear the water from her lungs. Once, twice, three times, before---

"Mama!" Marie wailed as her mother involuntarily jerked to the side and coughed up a mouthful of water.

"Wake up! C'mon, Princess," he begged. "Wake up!"

He helped pull her into a sitting position and thumped her on the back, trying to clear as much water as he could from her lungs as she coughed loudly. "Cough one more time. Good. Good. 0Boys, help me stand her up."

***

"Your highness! Your highness!" a frantic voice pulled you out of a sound sleep. "Wake up!"

You slowly opened your eyes to the darkness and rolled over to face the other side of the bed. Empty. Rion, your husband, was still off in the Far Systems fighting invaders. He'd been gone for six weeks already, leaving you with twin boys under three and a third baby on the way with your due date closer every day.

"Your highness!" the voice came again, accompanied by a frantic knocking at your door. "Please wake up!"

"I'm coming!" you called with a groan as you slid out of bed. You cupped your growing belly and waddled towards the door. "Ophelia, what is it?"

Ophelia, your handmaiden, stood before you in her own night clothes, her expression ashen, twisting her hands nervously. "Milady, it's-- it's His Highness."

You felt your heart drop into your stomach. Ice cold panic settled into your veins and sweat beaded up on your brow. It couldn't be...

"What happened?" you breathed, clutching the doorknob for support.

"He... oh, Highness, please don't make me repeat it," Ophelia sobbed as she pressed her hand against her mouth.

"You must," you said, your voice barely above a whisper. "I must hear it."

She removed her hand from her mouth and looked at you, her dark eyes locking with your own. "Milady... he was killed by the invading forces. An assassin snuck into his tent and, oh, they shot him. Dragged his body behind their truck, showing off their victory. He's dead. Your highness, I'm so sorry."

You fell into her arms and wailed, your cries echoing down the hallway. In the back of your mind, you thought of your sons, just a few years old. What were they going to think when they couldn't find their father? And the babe still inside you? They were never going to meet him. Your heart shattered, held only together by your children.

As you lifted your head from Ophelia's shoulder, you spotted Edgar consoling your mother. The moonlight streamed in from the large windows and cast a harsh shadow across Edgar's angular face. If not for the tears that clouded your vision, you would have sworn that Edgar was smiling.

It all became too much for you and you collapsed against Ophelia, sagging heavily in her arms. You heard her shout for Edgar as she lowered you to the ground, cradling your head in her lap before you fell unconscious in her arms.

"Your highness!" Edgar called, frantically trying to shake you awake. "Please wake up!"

***

"Wake up! C'mon, Princess," a warbled voice pleaded, dragging you through the darkness. "Wake up!"

You managed to crack open your eyes to blinding sunlight and couldn't stop yourself from coughing violently. It felt like you couldn't breathe. 

Someone helped you sit up and firmly pounded you on the back. You coughed and sputtered again as hot water spilled from your Iungs. 

"Good, good," the same voice soothed. The hand moved up your back and gave a few more pats. "One more. Cough one more time. Good girl. Boys, help me stand her up. We gotta get her back to the house. Hang on to her now, she might go dead weight on you."

*

"It's a girl!" cried Petunia, the midwife that was currently knelt between your legs. The piercing wail of a newborn baby filled the room, bringing you out of your labored stupor. 

Your mother pushed sweaty hair back from your forehead and gripped your shoulder, beaming with pride. "Oh, my sweet, she's beautiful! You did a wonderful job! I'm so proud of you."

"A girl! Can I see her?" you gasped, reaching for the shrieking baby. A second midwife whose name you couldn't remember snipped the cord and placed another sheet beneath your chair to clean up the mess.

"In a moment, miss," Petunia promised. She went to work, quickly brushing off the baby's face, clearing her nose and mouth of fluid before wrapping her in a blanket and laying her gently in your arms. 

Your mother cooed and leaned in to look at your new baby. She took the corner of the blanket and cleaned some remaining fluid from around her still closed eyes.

"Oh, she's perfect," she whispered, pressing a kiss to your sweaty temple. "He would have been proud to have a daughter, you know."

You only nodded, too transfixed by your minutes-old daughter to give a proper response at the mention of your recently deceased husband. You pressed a kiss to your baby's forehead, letting the tears flow freely down your flushed cheeks. "Marie. Your name is Marie."

***

"Easy now, Princess," Ezra whispered against the Duchess' ear. "I've got you."

She lolled her head back against Ezra's shoulder as he helped her up the stairs. 

"Rion?" she whispered, reaching for the man just to her left.

"Shh, Princess, up you get," he urged as he sat her on the edge of the bed. "Aiden, grab her nightgown there off of that hook. Henry, grab her legs and swing them up on the bed. We need to get her out of this wet dress before she gets sick."

Ezra coughed nervously, trying to act as natural as he could as he pulled the Duchess' sopping wet day dress over her head. He looked off to the side, trying to preserve at least some of her dignity as she sat there in the light shift she wore. He cleared his throat as Aiden handed him the dry nightgown. "You boys go outside with your sister and keep her occupied. I can take it from here."

Henry started to protest but Ezra shook his head and gestured for them to leave. He grabbed Aiden's hand and pulled him towards the stairs. 

Aiden pulled his hand away and looked at Ezra, tears brimming in his eyes. "Is mama going to be okay?"

Ezra looked at the Duchess and nodded once, his mouth set in a firm line. "Yes. She'll be just fine. Go on."

The boys looked at one another and then descended the stairs together.

"Rion?" she mumbled again, her whole body pitching forward to lean against Ezra's chest. 

"Shhh," he soothed as he blushed and quickly removed the rest of her wet clothes before slipping the dry gown over her head. He propped her up against the pillows as best he could and covered her with the blankets from the bottom, doing his best to keep her warm. "Just rest."

***

"Oh, Edgar," the princess called, flagging down her mother the Queen's advisor. "Have you heard from my daughter? I thought for sure by now she would have radioed. It's been quite some time."

Edgar gave a fond smile and shook his head. "Milady, I've just spoken with her this morning. It seems as though the radio there hasn't been working properly. Her and the children arrived safely several weeks ago - Orville is tending to them while they go about their business."

"And they're alright?" she asked, wringing her hands. 

"Oh yes, quite well," he replied. "They're getting along just fine. She asked about you and your mother as a matter of fact. I told her you both were still asleep. She regrets not calling later so she could speak with you."

The princess worried her lip between her teeth and nodded. "I wish she would have said something before running off like that. We have the Moon Feast in a few weeks. I know she's not fond of the Chancellor, but the two would get on well together if she gave him a chance. She could have just told me instead of taking the children and running away."

Edgar tutted lightly and smiled at the princess. He patted her lightly on the arm as he walked with her back to the drawing room. "I'm sure she is just trying to sort things out, my lady. Perhaps trying out that rebellious phase you had just said you were glad she had missed?" He chuckled, trying to alleviate any of her worries.

"She never grew out of her teenage years," the queen snapped from her chair in the corner. She gave a wracking cough and shuddered violently with the effort. "She hasn't been the same since Rion died."

"Mother, please be sympathetic," the princess tutted. She drew her shawl around her and sighed. "I fear you're rushing her to find a husband too quickly. She's not ready."

"It's been five damn years!" the queen spluttered. "She should be ready."

"You didn't pressure me into finding a husband when Vincent passed," she replied, crossing her arms indignantly.

"Oh, you were well past your prime, don't flatter yourself," the queen hissed, raising herself from the chair with great effort. She had gotten so frail in the last few years, and the stress of this whole ordeal wasn't making it any easier on her. If word got out that the young Duchess had run off, neighboring dominions would converge in an instant. "You had but one child of marrying age yourself. Why would someone choose you over her?"

The princess turned back to the bay window overlooking the garden, pointedly ignoring her mother's comments. "Edgar, if she calls again, you will wake me at once. I don't care how early it is. Understood?"

"Of course, milady," he replied with a bow. "Will there be anything else?"

The princess dismissed him with a wave of her hand. She sighed softly and looked back out towards the garden her daughter loved so much.

From this window, she could see her daughter's wing of the palace, uninhabited, curtains drawn in all the windows. "Something doesn't feel right about this. She would have called, even if she were cross with us."

The queen huffed and hobbled over to her desk. She lowered herself down and picked up a pen. "If she were grateful, she wouldn't have run off."

"She is grateful, mother--"

"Let me finish, child," the queen snapped. "She is grateful. And she wouldn't have just vanished like this, you're absolutely right."

"Mother--"

"I am agreeing with you, girl. Don't start," she said. "I am going to put a letter out to Thom. He should be able to check on her. See if Edgar is telling the truth."

"Your military strategist? You're sure he can be trusted with something like this?"

The queen snorted and coughed again. "My girl, I trust Thom more than I trust most people. I wouldn't worry. He'll know what to do."

"You don't think that Edgar would--"

"Keep your mouth closed, girl," the queen hissed. "These walls have sensitive ears."

***

You awoke with a startled gasp, one hand flying to your chest. The ragged breath sounded wet and crackled like a sickness in your lungs. You coughed, trying to clear fluid from your throat. It felt like you were suffocating.

"Princess, Kevva be praised," a worried voice said. A warm hand gripped your shoulder and helped steady you as you sat up further in the bed.

You saw Rion's anxious face, blurry and swirling in front of you. He touched your cheek, his rough fingers warm against your skin. You felt so cold.

"Rion?" you whispered. You blinked a few times as your eyes adjusted to the light.

"Shh, it's alright," he murmured, still touching your cheek. "Just rest. You're safe.

As your eyes adjusted, your heart sank. It was not Rion, but Ezra. Your heart skipped a beat when you realized how close he was to you. Ezra. You smiled weakly before you coughed again and fell back against the pillows.

***

You opened your eyes and rolled over onto your side in the soft grass. The spring flowers were coming in, their sweet perfume coming and going with the gentle breeze. 

"You look like a goddess like this," Ezra said softly. He tucked a strand of hair behind your ear and caressed the swell of your cheek with his thumb. "My own personal idol."

You blushed under the praise and smiled as you slid closer to him. When you placed your hand on his chest, he pressed a kiss to your forehead. You hummed at the affection and closed your eyes. 

"I didn't want to wake you, Duchess," he said. "But we need to head home."

Your eyes shot open at his words and you sat up. "What did you call me?"

Ezra slowly pushed himself upright and looked over at you. "Duchess. That is your appropriate title, if I am not mistaken?"

"Th-that..." you stammered, looking all around. "You never call me Duchess. You call me--"

"Princess, can you hear me?" Ezra murmured, cupping your cheek.

"Wh-what?" you asked as your fingers curled around his wrist.

"You gotta wake up," he said. "Please, wake up."

You jolted awake with a gasp, your chest heaving with effort. "Ezra!"

"I'm here, Princess," he soothed, his fingers carding through your hair. "I'm right here."

"The children?" you whispered, trying to crane your neck to look around him. "Where are my children?"

"Outside playing," he replied, glancing over his shoulder towards the window. "Though I expect they're right below the window there. I kicked them out a few hours ago."

"Hours? What happened?" 

"The bridge collapsed and took you with it," he explained. "I expect you cracked your head somewhere on the way down, sucked in a good lungful of water too."

You tried to move with a groan and Ezra pushed you back down. A dull pain shot up your leg and you hissed through your teeth.

"What is it? What hurts?"

"My leg," you groaned, reaching down to pull the blanket off. 

"It was caught under a branch," he said softly. "Lucky for you it kept you rooted in one spot and kept you from getting swept away until I got you. I was able to pull you free."

"You saved me?" you croaked, holding onto his hand. 

He nodded. "I did," he said softly. "Had a hell of a time with it too. Swimming is, regrettably, not one of my strengths. I reckon I fared only slightly better than you did, Princess."

You chuckled weakly and settled back against the pillows. The events of the afternoon swirled around your head, trying to patch themselves together. Everything had happened so quickly and you were still unsure how it all went down. All you knew was that Ezra had saved your life. 

"Thank you," you whispered. "I truly won't ever be able to thank you enough for saving me, Ezra."

He tutted and picked at a fuzz on the quilt. Worry was still etched into his brow, a deep line cutting down the center of his forehead.

"You said the children are outside?" you asked. Through the open window, you thought you could make out the sounds of them playing. 

Ezra nodded and stood up from the little stool with a pained groan. He walked towards the window and nodded. "They're by the barn with the kittens." He smiled and waved at them before turning to you. 

"My ankle," you said, slowly pulling yourself into a more upright position, trying to take a look at your ankle. "Is it broken?"

He shook his head. "No, luckily for you. Badly twisted and bruised, but not broken."

"How did you get me home?" you asked. The word fell from your lips before you could stop it. Home. It felt so natural. 

The bedroom door suddenly crashed open and the children came barreling into the room. Almost immediately they began to climb on the bed and into your lap, asking a million questions at once.

"I did have some help from your boys," he explained with a small laugh over the ruckus. He smiled at the chaos, and even more so at the way life returned to your face. "I admit I would have had a difficult time getting you home myself."

You kissed each of the boys cheeks and smiled broadly at them. "Oh, my heroes!" 

Henry buried his face against your neck and hugged you tightly. You could feel his tears against your skin and you quietly sushed him, trying to reassure each of them that you were going to be alright.

Aiden was on your other side, happily nestled under your arm, resting his head against your chest. He was unusually quiet, tears threatening at the corners of his eyes.

You soothed each of them by running your hands through their hair and scratching your nails against their scalps. "It's alright, little ones. It's alright."

Marie sniffled and pressed your face against your breast. You knew she probably hadn't stopped crying since it happened. 

"Oh, little bug, I'm alright," you hummed, kissing the top of her head. Her hair was warm from the sunlight outside and you smiled gently.

"Mama," she whispered. "I love you."

"Oh, I love you," you said. "So much. So very, very much."

Ezra stayed quiet for a minute before he cleared his throat to get their attention. "Alright, little birds, why don't you go find some pretty flowers for your mama," he suggested. "Mind her leg now."

As the children murmured in agreement, they climbed off your lap and off the bed. They looked back at you and you waved your hand at them. "Go ahead, I'll be down in a few moments. And mind my garden by the shed! They aren't ready to be picked yet!"

The children smiled and tried to race one another down the steps. You heard them shouting at one another as they ran outside.

You and Ezra both chuckled as he moved to sit beside you again. He looked far less worried now, but that deep line still marred his brow. As you looked closely at him, you noticed a silvery scar on his left cheek, half-moon shaped and long healed. You raised your hand to touch it and he startled a bit at the action.

"I'm sorry," you said softly. "I just never noticed your scar before."

Ezra reached up to touch the thin scar and chuckled at the memory of it. "Oh, this was nothing but a school yard fight at the academy I attended as a boy. Federation-run, so not much in the way of administration. Easy for other boys to gang up on the runts. No one cared one way or another whether we lived or died."

"That's awful," you said softly.

He shrugged. "That's generally what happens to Floaters. Ones with no family at that. Scoop 'em all up and throw them away. Out of sight out of mind."

"You didn't have a family?" you asked.

"I did, at one point, have a family, yes," he replied. "I was from Rowan originally. My dad worked on deposit farms. My mother, see, she had a little girl not long after me. Tiniest thing, according to my dad. I believe her name was to be Eudora. I never met the little thing. That tore her right up. She couldn't handle it anymore. Next thing I knew, my dad and I were drifting, Floaters. He got sick a sprint or two later, couldn't pull through." Ezra's voice sounded thick and he swallowed once to clear it.

You frowned and touched his arm. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry."

Ezra shrugged and blinked away any tears that collected in his dark eyes. "Speaking of prying - it's my turn, Princess. You kept mumbling a name when you were going in and out. Rion. Care to share with an old harvester like myself?"

You took a deep breath and nodded. If he could share his story, you supposed you could share yours with him.

"Rion," you murmured, smiling at the memory of his name. "He was my husband. He was killed about five years ago on La Won while I was only a few months out from having Marie."

Ezra leaned forward, urging you to continue. He held your hand and squeezed it reassuringly as you told your story. He rubbed his thumb against your knuckles, mindlessly drawing patterns between the bones.

When you had finished, he sat back with a breath and shook his head. "I am so sorry for your loss, Princess. I truly am."

You smiled and put your hand over his and traced a series of scars and callouses on his palm.

"It's been so long," you said softly. "And I was sad for a long, long time. My grandmother tried to push me to remarry, but my mother was heartily opposed to it. I felt trapped between them for a while."

"And you are for or against it? Remarriage, that is?" he asked. 

"I am not unopposed to the idea," you murmured. You felt a blush creep up over your cheeks and smiled a bit.

"Mama!" Marie shouted from the doorway. "We got you some pretty flowers! You gotta come see!" She sprinted back down the stairs at full speed, yelling to her brothers.

Ezra smiled and shook his head. "I suppose that's our cue to head downstairs? Are you sure you're feeling up to it?"

"Oh, of course. Lead the way," you smiled, offering your hand for him to help you out of bed. He shouldered your weight and lifted you out of bed with a smile. 


	6. Chapter 6

A few weeks after Ezra had come to your daring rescue, you had begun to venture outside by yourself again. Your foot was feeling worlds better, allowing you to join your children back on the farm. The bruising was nearly gone as well, though after he'd thoroughly examined it once he was sure you were well, Ezra retracted his original statement that you'd merely twisted it. 

"Hairline fracture, Princess," he explained as he held your foot in his lap. "Quite common, really. Not technically a break."

Currently, you were tending to the herb and flower garden you had so lovingly brought back to life since you'd arrived here. Large blossoms loomed over your head, set to bloom any day now. The herbs had been in use for some time now, and since you'd gotten injured, you hadn't been able to do much in the way of caring for the poor garden. The children had watered it per your instructions, but the ground was covered in weeds that needed to be cleared.

You'd tried to supervise the children and instruct them on what to pull and it very nearly resulted in the savage murder of a tiny oregano plant by the hand of your youngest. After that, you relied on Henry and Aiden to pull up the larger weeds that threatened the tender plants. 

Now you were elbow deep in dirt, in a veins attempt to yank out a large blue-leaf spore plant by the taproot. It was the best form of therapy, you'd told Ezra. And he was inclined to agree with you once he saw your smile. It seemed to draw him closer to you as he approached and handed you a glass of water, which you heartily accepted. 

He lowered himself to the grass beside you and hummed at the pile of weeds beside you. "Busy today, I see?"

You nodded and sat back, groaning softly at the way your back protested at the lack of movement. "This one's giving me trouble," you said, gesturing to the spore plant.

Ezra chuckled. "You're going at it the wrong way, just trying to tear it straight out. See, the  _ Caeruluncus Sporangium  _ has these hook-like roots that kind of dig into the dirt like a claw. Wiggle it from side to side -- see if that does the trick."

Sure enough, as you wiggled the plant around in the dirt, you could feel its grip loosen. Soon, you were able to pull it free, including the long tap root that was nearly as long as your arm. You could see the hooked roots and grimaced at how horrifying it was. "I'm impressed you knew that," you replied. "I've never dealt with a weed quite like that."

Ezra smiled and picked a tiny clover you'd missed. He examined it for a moment before he tucked it into your hair. "The hooks worked surprisingly well in a pinch to close a suture when nothing else was on hand. I only know the old Latin by chance, it seems. A partner I had some years back was a botanist. He knew all the scientific names for every damn plant we came across. I think he made some of the names up."

You touched the clover in your hair and blushed slightly. These past few days, Ezra had somehow gotten softer with you, if that were even possible. You often wondered if he thought he was going to lose you that day in the river. The same thought had crossed your mind once or twice. Would he have taken care of your children? Or would he try to get the back to your family without a thought?

Henry ran over to you just then, clutching a section of a heavy chain in his hands. He showed it excitedly to Ezra, nearly bouncing out of his skin. "What is it? Is this from a dig?"

Ezra studied the chain for a moment, turning it in his hand to inspect the links. He nodded and handed it back. "I suspect it was part of a dig at one point. That's Federation-forged extraterrestrial steel. You can see the stamps here. Some of the fields around here were dig sites a while back. They turned it all into farm land when they were finished. Settled the land they tore up."

Henry grinned and crouched down beside Ezra to look at the tiny Federation stamp on a few of the links. He lifted his glasses so he could see the tiny details that had been branded into the metal. "Not pirates?"

"Now don't sound so disappointed! But no, son, not pirates," Ezra chuckled. "Though I imagine someone called prospectors and harvesters similar terms at some point in time."

You sat back to watch them both, a warmth spreading through you at their interaction. The children really did love him. They never once had a bad thing to say about him. He never got upset at them, never raised his voice. He had been patient from the start. And you had been so nervous that he might have ulterior motives. 

No, you thought, Ezra would care for the children if something had happened to you. If you had not survived your tumble, he would most certainly love the children like they were his own. He did it right from the start, even when he had little to gain. 

As if he were tuned to your thoughts like it was his favorite radio station, Ezra lifted his head to grin at you. He looked back at Henry and advised him to be careful in the fields before he sent him off.

"Something weighing on your mind, Princess?" he asked, moving a bit closer to you. He brushed a leaf from your sleeve and held the tiny thing in his hand for a moment, rubbing his thumb over the waxy texture.

"Oh, I was just thinking," you murmured, looking back down at the much-improved garden. You sighed when Ezra pressed you to continue. "I was thinking about... what would have happened if I had- if something had happened to me and I couldn't look after the children anymore."

Ezra raised a brow, intrigued by your question. He scooted closer on his knees so that he was directly in front of you. "You're asking me what I would have done with your children had I not been able to save you from the river?" He waited for you to nod before continuing. "I would have done everything I could to give them a proper life. I would have continued to provide for them as I have been, all the while searching for their family."

You took a deep breath and nodded, satisfied with his response. You had known it all along, but hearing it come directly from him felt different somehow. It felt more real this way.

"Shall I continue to keep you company, Princess, or would you like to continue your work in private?" Ezra smiled and nudged you with his shoulder. "I would offer to help, though I fear you would be dissatisfied with my work."

"I'm sure I would find proper use for your handiwork," you hummed. A dark blush crept across your face at his salacious grin. Realizing the double meaning to your words, you gasped and covered your mouth with your hand. "Oh, I apologize!"

Ezra let out a loud laugh and reached for your wrist. He gently pulled your hand from your mouth and held it in his own. "No need to apologize. I'm sure you're right. I suppose I wouldn't be too rusty." He let go of your hand and brought his own up to cup your cheek, swiping some dirt away with his thumb.

Your face grew even hotter at his gesture and you tried to look away to compose yourself. Ezra gently tilted your chin back up so you were looking at him. This time, you didn't look away. It felt right.

"Princess, I--" Ezra was leaning closer to you now, his eyes flicking down to your mouth. 

"Mama!" Marie screeched from the other side of the yard. "Aiden pushed me in the mud!"

You both abruptly pulled away and looked around, hoping the children hadn't seen. The two of you were still sitting close enough to feel the heat radiating off of each other. Ezra coughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. 

"I'm sorry," you said softly as you stood up. 

Ezra grabbed your hand as you turned to go and you looked back at him, more than surprised. "Princess, I'm going to the market tomorrow. Would you care to join me?"

You smiled and then nodded. "Of course. I would like that very much. But what about the children?"

"Would they be alright on their own?" he asked. He stood up with a grunt of pain and leaned down to brush his knees off. "We could always bring them with us."

You glanced over your shoulder to where the children were playing before nodding. "I suppose we could bring them with us. With you, they'll be on their best behavior."

Ezra smiled and nodded, his expression almost boyish. He had that crooked smile on his face when he turned towards the children. 

You bit your lip and smiled at the thought of him wanting to care for and love the children even in your absence. The entire idea of him loving and caring for them made you admire him even more. Suddenly, you realized that perhaps you'd felt this way about him for quite some time, and not just in the past few weeks. 

A slow smile made its way across your face as you saw him scoop Marie up and tuck her under his arm. He spun around with her in a circle before he crouched down and examined an apparent bruise she'd sustained from where Aiden had shoved her. 

He was the only thing that even vaguely resembled a father that Marie had ever known. Ezra had stepped into the role so easily it felt as though he were the missing page to a book that you thought had been completed long ago. 

  
  


"Now, children," you said as you walked beside Ezra, your arm in his. "What are the rules?"

"Don't touch things that don't belong to us," Aiden mumbled. He was tossing a rubber ball back and forth in his hands, keeping himself occupied on the short walk to town.

"Keep our hands in our pockets or behind our backs," Henry said, clasping his own hands behind his back.

You turned to look expectantly at Marie as she skipped along beside you. When she didn't acknowledge you right away you cleared your throat to get her attention.

"Oh! Keep our voices down and mind our manners!" she exclaimed. She reached for your hand and tugged on it. "Is that right, mama?"

"Yes, little bug," you praised with a fond smile. "That was perfect."

You approached the town and warned the children to watch their step on the uneven path. The glass that had littered the ground on your first trip though had been mostly cleared, save for a few sparkling pieces left in between the cracked asphalt. 

"The Emporium is first," Ezra said, nodding at a nondescript yellow brick building. The front window had been blown out long ago, with a translucent tarp over the hole. "U steel, I shoot" was written in at least three languages on the tarp, as well as a simple picture that portrayed the same message. 

"Oh, relax," Ezra said with a chuckle when he noticed your apprehension. "Marta loves kids. She's got two grandbabies of her own a couple cycles' travel from here. She'll be thrilled to have your flock in her store."

"And we'll be well behaved," Henry promised. "Won't we, Aiden? See, mama. Don't worry!"

You sighed and then nodded. "Alright, but you see the sign! You understand what it says! Come on, little ones."

Together, the four of you entered the shop through the squeaky door. You winced at the grating sound it made against the metal floor.

You poked around the shelves as Ezra meandered his way around the clutter on the floor as he made his way to the counter.

The store itself had a wide variety of goods to choose from: housewares, tools, bulbs. Staple proteins for harvesters to toss into their clips, ammo, a few items of basic thermal clothing. Everything that would be needed for a scavenging expedition on the far reaches of a hostile planet.

Ezra was chatting with an older woman at the counter. She was at least seventy, her gray hair pulled into a loose bun at the nape of her neck. Her right hand was missing two fingers, you noticed, as she reached on a shelf to grab a jar of starter for baking. When she turned back to Ezra, you saw the long jagged scar that cut up from her lip to her eyebrow, marring her weathered face.

"Oh, Marta," Ezra said with a wide smile as he turned to you. "You have royalty in your store today. A duchess and her three children. They're staying with me while we hatch a plan to get them home."

Marta chuckled and smiled at you. "And here I thought Hosea was spewing more cow shit when he told me. Guess I owe him some money after all. My apologies for the language. Marta Davis, your highness."

You blushed at her formality and gave her your name, at which she smiled broadly. "Please, you don't have to be so formal. I find that I enjoy the more genuine company. These are my three children, Aiden, Henry, and Marie." The children bowed and clumsily curtsied as you introduced them. 

Marta beamed at them and walked out from behind the counter to stand before them. She greeted each of the children individually and asked them a few questions to try and get to know them. 

Ezra had been right. She loved children, and they were at least minding their manners when they spoke with her. 

You smiled and stood beside Ezra and helped put some items in his backpack while he crossed them off the list and scribbled the prices down in the margins. There were a few more things on the paper and you weren't sure if you could get them here or not.

Marta turned back to you and smiled, nodding at the children. "Politest customers I've ever had, miss. I don't get much civility from farm hands and miners. Never got it with aurelac harvesters either. I'm sure Ezra can attest to that."

Ezra chuckled and nodded. "They can be a rough and tough bunch, that is true. Though I would hope that you never had an issue with my company."

Marta playfully rolled her eyes and nodded. "Never. It's gonna be fifteen today, Ezra."

He nodded and handed her the money from his pack before he grabbed his list from the counter. He swung it onto his shoulders with ease and nodded to you. "Onto the next, Princess."

You corralled the children by the door and gestured for them to say thank you to Marta before you opened the front door and ushered them out.

Ezra was already chatting with someone by the time you made it outside. You suspected much of Ezra's time in town was spent talking to people, and it made you wonder why he didn't live closer to town. He enjoyed people's company, so why live in a near exile?

The man he was talking to was about ten years or so Ezra's junior, with shoulder length red hair, half pulled back and sharp, steel blue eyes. He crossed his arms and nodded at something Ezra said before he laughed.

"I'm finally finished with it, Ez," the man said with a sigh. "I put a rush on it for you. No one had any parts to spare, but I made it work. Rix has that old combine collector that I took the belt off, but that only gets you to the Northern Vivicomb Belts."

"Thank you, Charlie," he said. "That is plenty far enough for her. I simply wish it didn't have to be over so soon." Ezra sighed and shook his head. He opened his mouth to say something else, but stopped when the younger man nodded in your direction. He turned to face you with a warm smile. "Princess, this is Charlie, I recently enlisted his help to get you a ship home. No one on Muir has a better hand for fixing pods and ships."

"My head is already big enough, Ezra," Charlie teased. He bowed his head towards you. "Duchess. Good to put a face to the name."

"It's nice to meet you too," you said with a smile. "So you have a ship for us?"

"I do indeed," he chuckled. "Little in terms of an actual ship. I finished it earlier this afternoon. Fit together and with many additional parts, not to mention countless hours of love and care to get you and your, ah, flock, as Ezra puts it, back home."

Ezra smiled and offered his arm to you once again. "Keep me posted. I expect our fair Princess is weary of our little hovel."

"I'm siphoning fuel off of the Veskar - Darla's crew's vessel. Should be a few days more. Maybe tomorrow at the earliest."

You frowned and touched Ezra's hand as you looped your arm through his. You hoped that he wasn't under the impression you wanted to leave so quickly. You'd actually grown fond of Muir, or at the very least the small part of it you had seen.

Charlie waved you off as Ezra led you down the street to the next store on the block. Judging by the sign, it was a little butcher shop. The sign out front had a few items listed for the day, with a few already crossed off. 

"You can wait outside if you'd like," Ezra offered, letting your arm drop. He smiled at you and then the children. "I will only be a second."

You nodded and held onto his backpack while he entered the tiny shop. The children had found a little family of large bugs crawling on the street and followed them with a stick in hand. Marie stood beside you, one fist holding tight to your dress, the other hand against her mouth as she sucked on her fingers. 

A few moments later, Ezra emerged with a brown paper wrapped bundle in his arm. You held open the bag for him and he dropped it inside before he took the bag from you.

"One more, Princess," he hummed. He gestured for the children to join you as he walked down the street. The children followed him happily and you quickly caught up with them. 

Ezra didn't seem particularly bothered with the statement he gave Charlie. Did he really want you gone that badly? It had felt like he genuinely enjoyed your company, but now you weren't so sure. The very thought upset you and you found yourself lagging behind.

The last stop was a tiny shop, unassuming and signless. Through the tinted glass window, you spotted a few stacks of worn yellow books, well read and well loved. Ezra turned to you and smiled. "I have a few to trade in, do you mind?"

You shook your head and offered a small smile of your own. "I don't mind, please take all the time you need."

"I won't be long," he hummed as he opened the door to the shop. "I know exactly what I'm looking for."

A few minutes later, Ezra emerged from the bookshop with a handful of new stories. He handed them to you so you could put them in the backpack with ease.

"I got something for you as well, Princess," he said with a smile. "You'll love it."

"Oh?" you blushed a bit and reached for Marie's hand so you could begin your walk back. 

Ezra nodded and patted the front pocket on his jacket. "I will keep it here, safe, until I can present it to you properly."

"I look forward to it," you hummed, ducking your head so he couldn't see your smile in the fading light of day. The thing about Ezra, you found, was that he knew if you were smiling whether or not he could see your face. 

He chuckled and led the way for you all back to the farm. He held your hand when you crossed over the little brook at the edge of the property so you could step over with ease. 

The children giggled when you slipped on the gravel and toppled into his chest. You blushed and looked at him as he righted you on your feet. 

Ezra smiled and apologized for his arm at your waist, but you dismissed his apology with a shake of your head. His hand felt warm at the small of your back and even when he took his hand away, you could still feel the warmth there.

"Go take this into the house," Ezra said. He slid the bag off his shoulders and handed it to Aiden. "All three of you. Go on now."

When the children stood there, still looking expectantly at you, you nodded your head towards the house. "You heard him. Go on."

The three of them giggled and slowly walked back towards the house, throwing occasional glances over their shoulders at the two of you. Marie stood by the front door to watch, but Henry ushered her inside. 

"Princess, I...  _ Duchess, _ " Ezra corrected himself with a cough. "I was wondering if perhaps you and I could talk?"

You felt yourself pale slightly. A talk was never a good thing, and though Ezra didn't strike you as the type to be serious, it still made you nervous. What could he possibly want to talk about? Maybe you were too big a burden on his farm? Perhaps financially, he couldn't cope? Or was it that encounter in the garden yesterday? That almost kiss? Did you over step? "What is it?"

"Now you look like you've seen a ghost," he chuckled, touching your hand lightly. "It's not a serious talk, though I suppose one might consider it so." He trailed off at the end and looked down at his boots.

If you hadn't been before, you certainly were curious now. He never seemed so nervous in conversation. Normally, he was always so steady and confident in his words. You nodded for him to continue.

"Would you like to take a little picnic with me?" he asked. "Just the two of us? Not that I mind the company of your flock, but I feel you and I should have some time to ourselves as adults to--"

"I would love to," you said softly, bringing your hand up to touch his shoulder. "But who will watch the children? We can't leave them alone, they're just little."

Ezra shook his head. "You're right, it simply isn't in the cards for you and I, I suppose." He sighed and turned away from you to go back towards the house. 

You frowned and reached for his hand. "Ezra, wait. What about supper - after the children go to sleep?"

He turned back to you and smiled at your idea. He seemed relieved that you'd had your own suggestion, and that you appeared eager to go with him. "That seems a fine idea to me, Princess. I would be more than happy to honor that request."

"Tonight?" you asked softly. It felt as though your heart was going to burst into a thousand stars. You only hoped Ezra couldn't hear how fast it was beating.

Ezra stepped closer to you and tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. "Tonight sounds wonderful, Princess. I will need a while to get everything ready, but I am sure that by the time you put your flock down, I will be finished."

You nodded and looked towards the house where you could still spot the children peeking through the doorway, eagerly waiting for you both.

A few hours later, after the children had been fed, bathed, and read to, you found yourself in your room, staring at your reflection in the tiny mirror beside the door. You had no fancy dresses like the ones back in the palace, but you admit you had grown accustomed to the simple wardrobe you had here at the farm. You didn't know what to wear for your evening picnic with Ezra, but you selected a plain white sundress that he'd complimented the first time you wore it. 

You checked on the children one last time, making sure they were fast asleep, before you crept down the stairs and into the garden. Ezra had promised you would know where to find him.

The garden was dark, lit only by the blue tint of the moon above. You followed the fence to the edge of the garden, keeping one hand on the posts. At the edge of the property, you found Ezra beneath a willow tree, bent low to light one final candle.

As he turned to you, his face was illuminated by the soft yellow light of candles and lanterns. He moved aside and gestured to the quilt that he had laid on the grass against the tree. 

"It's not much, Princess," he admitted, "But I still hope it is as good as a garden party in your palace."

Your eyes welled up with tears as you looked at everything. He'd set out a few pillows on the blanket to make it comfortable. There were a few books he had brought as well, though you didn't recognize a few of the titles. A little basket of food was off to the side, filled with a little bottle of wine and some pastries you had offhandedly mentioned weeks ago. It was perfect.

"Oh, Ezra," you breathed. "This -- this is far better than any garden party. I can't believe this! You did all of this?"

Ezra chuckled and looked at everything he had set up. "I admit I didn't do this on my own. I did have some pointers from your flock. I enlisted their help a few days ago."

You laughed and nodded because, of course he would have asked the children. Looking back, they had been acting a bit odd these last few days. It all made sense now, of course.

He took your hand and helped you sit down on the quilt. He offered you a glass of wine, apologizing for its poor quality, before he joined you on the ground.

You looked around once again before you bit your lip and leaned against him, resting your head on his shoulder. It was a cool night, and you suddenly regretted not bringing an extra blanket as you cuddled against him. Ezra, it would seem, had come prepared. He pulled a knit blanket from a basket beside him and covered your shoulders with it.

You hummed in appreciation and closed your eyes, listening to the nearby brook that bordered the property. The symphonic cacophony of nightly insects filled the air as the moon rose higher in the sky, nearly lulling you to sleep. 

Suddenly, Ezra spoke, the deep timbre of his voice breaking the otherwise easy silence. "Let me not to the marriage of true minds/Admit impediments. Love is not love, which alters when it alteration finds, or bends with the remover to remove. Oh no! It is an ever fixed mark."

You looked up at him, slightly confused. He had his eyes closed, his head tilted back and resting against the tree. There was a waver to his voice, as if what he was saying frightened him. It took a moment for you to realize it was a poem. You smiled and pressed your head against his chest. His heartbeat was so loud against his ribs you were almost worried for him as he continued the poem. You reached for his shaking hand as it rested between his thighs to calm him. 

"If this be error and upon me proved, I never writ, nor no man ever loved." The closing line of Ezra's poem was nearly a whisper, breathed out like a holy prayer meant only for you. Slowly, he opened his eyes and looked at you, and moved his hand to raise your chin so he could look at you. He sat up a little straighter, his dark eyes scanning your face, searching for hesitation or uncertainty. When he found none, he slowly pressed his lips against yours, savoring the warmth of your mouth against his.

You closed your eyes and smiled against his lips. A warmth exploded in your chest, flooding you with emotions you hadn't felt in so long. A tear slid down your cheek and Ezra quickly pulled away when he felt his cheeks grow damp.

"Princess, I am so sorry," he breathed, an apologetic expression on his face. He brushed your tear away and bit his lip, waiting for you to say something. Or to storm off.

"For what?" you asked, a little confused. You still felt the electric buzz of him against your lips.

"If that was untoward or uncalled for, I cannot apologize enough," he replied. "Forgive me. I merely--"

You surged forward and kissed him again, hoping this cleared up whatever he was about to say. It would be a complete lie if you had said you didn't want it.

After a few moments, he broke free, panting softly as his lips brushed your cheek. His sharp nose traced your cheekbone as he pressed little kisses to your jaw.

"As much as I wish to continue and take this further, Princess," he hummed, his lips pressed to your ear. "I do believe we have an audience." He gestured with a nod behind you towards the house. 

You turned to see three little heads peering at you from the kitchen doorway. They tried to duck out of the way, so you couldn't see them, and you turned back to Ezra with a smile. He caught your lips again and hummed appreciatively when you moved to deepen the kiss.

"Thank you," you whispered breathlessly when you pulled away. "This was perfect, Ezra. I truly can't thank you enough for this. I wish this moment would never end."

"Then stay," he murmured. "Here on Muir, with me. Don't go back."

"I wish we could," you said softly. "You offered us your home when we needed it. You were right there for us. And this place is so wonderful. I've never seen the children so happy."

Ezra beamed and settled back against the tree. "Your children, Princess, they love it here. And I have grown quite fond of them myself."

"They love you," you said with a small smile. You lay your head on his chest and closed your eyes. "They simply adore you."

"And, you know," he said softly. "They do need a sort of father around. I must admit, the thought never occurred to me before I met you. Me, a father - could you imagine?"

You lifted your head to look at him with a fond smile. "Would it surprise you if I said I could?"

Ezra blushed a bit and looked away sheepishly. "You realize what you are saying. I am not a liar, Princess. Not in this instance, anyway."

You sat up a bit and turned his face to look into his eyes. "Ezra, I admit it would be absolutely wonderful. I would love nothing more than to stay here with you. It would make me so happy. But the children and I, we must go home - back to the palace."

He looked at you and then nodded. It seemed as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. At the same time, however, he looked ashen and scared. You knew that expression on his face - he had poured out his own emotions to you and you had to turn him down.

"It doesn't change how I feel about you, Princess," he said softly. "You or your children. And as much as I wish you could stay here, I know you need to go."

"Come with us? Please?"

Ezra shook his head. "I can't. A court is no place for a scoundrel like me. You know that as well as I do. Think of what they would say. No, this is where I belong. And you - well you deserve the best. Fancy dresses, and lavish parties."

"But who will read me poetry?" you asked softly. 

"I am sure you will find someone who deserves you, Princess," he murmured. He opened his jacket pocket and presented a palm-sized, cream colored book. "Romantic poems: 1600-2100. I had to pick it up when we were in town. I want you to have it so you know you are truly deserving of someone who makes you feel every emotion in that book."

You held it close to your chest and let the tears flow down your cheeks. It was going to crush you when you woke up every day to a cold room larger than the house you had stayed in over the past few months.

The two of you sat there long after the moon had disappeared behind the house. You had started to fall asleep, warm and safe against Ezra's chest, but he gently woke you, pressing his lips to your forehead.

"Princess," he said softly between feather light kisses. "I would like nothing more than to stay suspended in this moment forever, yet I fear we would both fall ill should we stay till morning. Shall we go back home?"

"Oh, must we?" you asked, voice heavy with sleep. You sat up when Ezra shuffled to stand. 

He gathered the pillows and basket in a bundle and offered his hand to help you up. "I'll clean this up later. Come on, let's go back."

You took his and stood, making sure the poetry book he had given you was in your hand, should it get ruined. As you both walked back to the house, you spared one last glance at the willow tree where now your heart resided.

Ezra guided you up the dark staircase to your bedroom, softly counting the ten stairs to the top. He gently took your hand when you reached the door and pulled you back to him.

You kissed him sweetly, wrapping your arms around his neck. A fire began to burn in your belly and you pulled him closer.

Ezra pulled away with a hum and smiled, gently bumping his nose against yours. "I am sorry, Princess," he murmured, giving you another kiss. "I must decline, if only tonight. One day, I will draw constellations on your skin and whisper poetry between your thighs."

"Oh, do you promise?" you whispered, cupping his face in your hands.

"With my whole heart, I do."


	7. Chapter 7

"Princess, would you care to accompany me into town?" Ezra asked softly one morning. He set the book he was reading down on the table and looked at you with a fond smile. 

"Of course. We just went the other day, did you forget something?" you asked, setting your tea cup down on the table. A few months ago, you never would have even considered leaving the children here alone. Now, it felt different. You felt more comfortable leaving them alone for a while. "I'm sure the children will be okay for an hour or so, won't they?"

"I guarantee it," he hummed. "I just wanted to get you a few things for... for when you leave."

You couldn't help but notice the hesitation in his voice as he mentioned your imminent departure. He had been toeing around the entire thing for the past few days and quite frankly, you had been grateful. It pained you to think that you might never see him again when you left. 

You felt that by not bringing up the fact that there was a perfectly good vessel he had commissioned for you ready to go, maybe you could stay just a little bit longer. The children certainly wouldn't mind. You had mentioned it off handedly to them one afternoon and it broke your heart when they assumed Ezra would be coming along.

You stood up from the table and dusted off your dress. Your clothes had never seen this much wear and they definitely were showing it since your arrival. They fit the environment now, worn-in, friendly, comfortable. Your skin itched at the mere thought of going back to scratchy gowns and beaded chemises.

As much as you detested the idea of going back, it felt a necessary evil, unfortunately. Your grandmother was likely to step down from the throne soon, and your mother would take her place. You would be next. Then Aiden. It was a never ending cycle and one you grew to loathe with every passing minute here. The thought of you remaining here with Ezra forever with the children felt like a fantasy story.

Soon there would be no long nights where you would make up stories for the children together. No meals cooked together. No walks to the market.

"I would be happy to go with you," you said with a smile. You might as well take advantage of what little time you had left together. 

You looked at the children as they played in the yard. The boys had grown like weeds in the warm days of Muir. Their trousers were too short now, their shirts just a bit too small. Marie, your little bug, her hair had gotten longer and lighter in the sun. 

"We're going into town for a minute," Ezra explained as he eyed the children up and down. "Now, I don't want to come home to find my barn and field razed to the ground. And your mother and I want you all in one piece. Understood?"

"Yes, Mr. Ezra," the children mumbled as they glanced toward you. You only raised your brow in agreement with Ezra.

"Mama!" Marie called as she bounced excitedly in front of you. "Are you and Mr. Ezra going a-courting?"

You blushed and Ezra chuckled beside you. "Are you watching those old princess pictures again, little bird?" Ezra asked, kneeling down in front of her. He gently ruffled her curls and smiled. "Your mama deserves a prince to court her! Not an old scoundrel like me!"

You tried not to hear the sadness in his voice. It seemed he was just as hesitant about you leaving as you were. "We'll be back soon. No wild horseplay, children!"

You took Ezra's arm and walked with him to the back gate towards town. His arm was warm and reassuring against you, bracing you for what Aiden murmured as you walked away.

"I guess we aren't gonna have a father after all, huh?" he whispered to his brother and sister.

"We were so close this time," Henry mumbled.

You wiped your eyes as Ezra unlatched the gate and helped you out over the little brook. Neither of you looked at one another until you hit the main road entering town.

"Ezra, I'm sorry--" you started as you reached the town limits, wanting to apologize for the children's behavior.

He shook his head and closed his eyes. "It's alright, Princess. I understand the children's disappointment. I hope that when you arrive safely back at your palace, you will find someone who truly deserves you."

You stared at Ezra in silent shock, tears flowing down your cheeks. Did he not know how you felt about him? How much you care for him? "Please, Ezra. Don't say that."

He shook his head. "I only want what is best for you, Princess. And the children."

You started to reply, but were cut off by someone calling for Ezra. The man from a few days ago, Charlie, was jogging towards you both, his hand waving to get your attention. 

"Ez, hey," Charlie panted as he approached. He turned to you and bowed lowly to greet you. "Highness. Ez, I finally got the fuel siphoned over from the Veskar."

You turned your head so neither man would see your tears. It seemed as though your dreams of staying here were just that. Dreams. 

"Well now, that's just fantastic news," Ezra exclaimed, clapping Charlie on the shoulder. "I'll stop over to discuss specifics later, as we're on a supply run at the moment."

Charlie nodded and bowed to you again. "I look forward to seeing you again, Princess," he said with a smile as he took your hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it.

"Alright, thank you," Ezra said firmly as he led you away from Charlie. He glared at the other man as you walked down the street together.

You quickly wiped your tears away and smiled at the small glimpse of jealousy that shone through. Even if you two weren't able to be together, he was still fiercely protective of you. 

"Back to the general store," he said, holding the door open for you. He stepped in behind you and shut the door firmly. 

The store was fairly busy this time of day. By the looks of it, there were a few harvesters and farm hands scouring the shelves for supplies. A rather terrifying looking man was positioned on a stack of crates in the back of the store, keeping an eagle eye out for shoplifters. 

"Morning, Ezra!" Marta called brightly from behind the counter. She finished totalling up a rather grizzled looking mercenary's order and held out her hand as he counted out the credits. 

Ezra nodded in her direction and kept a firm hand on your back as he guided you towards boxes of canned and packaged goods. He picked up a few items and handed them to you to put into the backpack he'd brought. 

After he'd picked a few, he turned and nodded towards the counter, gesturing for you to head to Marta.

She smiled at you as you handed her the backpack fill of goods. She began to count and total the purchases, humming softly as she worked.

Ezra glanced over his shoulder and patted your arm. "I'll bring right back, Princess. Just hang on one second." He disappeared from your side and pushed his way through the other occupants.

"Are you headed back home?" Marta asked as she tallied your order. She frowned when she saw how unhappy you looked in response. "You don't have to go, you know. I've never seen Ezra so damn happy as when he's with you and those kids. If you stayed, he'd would be over the moon. The boy needs a family."

You brushed a tear away and sighed. Every sign was pointing you to stay with him, yet you knew you just couldn't. 

"I--"

"Here we go, Marta, ring that up too, would you kindly?" Ezra asked, plopping down an extra fuel can. He glanced between Marta's frown and your solemn expression and then sighed. "Sorry, Mar. Excuse us for just a minute." He pulled you over to the side and brushed your tears away. "Princess, what's wrong? Did one of those prospectors say something?"

You shook your head and let out a sob. "No, it's not that-- you've just been so kind and helpful and I still haven't found a way to repay you!"

Ezra shook his head and tugged you against his chest. "Princess, no, it's alright. Don't cry. Come on, let me pay and I'll take you home. Why don't you wait outside for me? You can get some air."

You nodded and rushed out, not wanting the mercenaries and prospectors to see you. As you stepped outside, you looked up to the pale sky above. Since your arrival, a large purple planet had entered orbit, rising along the eastern horizon. You remembered the boys asking about it, and the story Ezra had told about how the purple planet, Doranastrus, chased after the morning star. They were constantly just out of one another's gravitational pull. Ezra had watched you the entire time he told the story. That had been a few months ago now, but you hadn't forgotten the story. 

"I'm a fool," you whispered to yourself.

An old woman wandered down the street and stopped in front of you. She regarded you with a nod and looked you up and down. "Is your husband the one with the two goats? He rents them to eat grasses?"

The bell on the shop door tinkled merrily behind you before you could answer and Ezra stepped out. He shut the door behind him and came down the few stairs to stand beside you. "What's this about a husband and goats?"

"Are you this woman's husband?"

"Now, I wouldn't exactly call myself her husband," Ezra chuckled, shouldering his backpack. He cleared his throat and looked at the woman. "What did you need?"

"You're the one with them goats on the edge of town?"

"I am indeed the man with the goats. How can I be of service?"

"Need them for a few days to clear a patch of land," she responded. 

Ezra nodded. "Absolutely. Swing by the farm sometime tomorrow and pick them up. You have Amir's old plot right?"

She nodded. "I do. I'm June, my husband is Rhys. I'll send him over tomorrow after lunch."

"Perfect," he said with a smile. "I look forward to it. I'll let the girls know they'll be shipping off. Thank you, June." 

Ezra placed his hand on your back and led you down the street back the way you'd come earlier. He adjusted the backpack and then offered his arm to you once again. 

"The atmosphere seems like it'll be good for a takeoff in a few days," he said softly. "I've given it much thought, Princess. It has kept me awake at night, long into the dawn's early hours. But I've made my decision."

"And what decision might that be?" you asked, biting back the tears that stung your eyes. 

"I," he said, his voice catching. "I would like to escort you home. Personally. I would feel much better seeing you safe in your fancy garden rather than sending you off into the darkness of space alone."

You looked over, waiting for him to say something else. He wanted to see you home instead of just waving you off from his front door? The thought comforted you. It felt like he truly cared for your emotions, though forcing him to travel back to Muir alone felt wrong.

"It's a long trip, Ezra," you said softly. "I couldn't ask for you to do that for us, not after all you've done already."

He shook his head. "For my own sake and peace of mind, Princess, I insist. Let me do you and your children this one final courtesy. Besides, Central isn't too far off. I could drop in on Cee, keep her company for a few days."

It seemed as though he'd made up his mind. Besides, the children might enjoy the trip home a little more if Ezra came along. 

In the back of your mind, you still heard their remark on how they almost had a father. It broke your heart to be unable to give them what they wanted. They'd never asked for anything before like they had done with this.

"Of course, Ezra," you said softly. "Thank you. Truly. Thank you for everything."

You sat in the garden, watching the children play. And every day that passed, you almost began to dread leaving. Ezra had welcomed you into his home the very first moment he saw the three of you in the cantina. He saved your life and poured his heart out to you. He had begun to feel like home.

You picked a rather vibrant pink day bloom as it bowed under its own weight beside you. It smelled absolutely lovely and you smiled as you ran your fingers over the petals. You opened the poetry book to the one Ezra had recited to you - Sonnet 116, written over seven hundred years ago by a man named Shakespeare. It seemed a fitting home for the flower, tucked safely between its pages.

"Princess," Ezra called as he approached you from behind. There was an urgency in his voice that you only remember hearing when you'd fallen into the river. Something was bothering him. He was covered in dirt and sweat from his morning chores, but you were sure he'd never looked better. "A word, if you would be so kind? I won't take up too much of your time, I know you have to start getting ready to depart soon."

"Is something the matter?" you asked softly. Ever since Ezra had poured his heart out to you, it almost felt like he had pulled away. It made you feel like you'd done some wrong. Maybe you had, by not expressing just how deeply you cared for him. You wanted to tell him at least a dozen times before lunch every day how much you loved him. You always hoped he knew that.

Ezra shook his head and wiped the sweat off his forehead. "No, Princess, everything is just fine. I'm just doing an awful lot of thinking, that's all. It both strains and enriches the mind."

"And what are you thinking so hard about?" you asked, setting the book in your lap. You turned, urging him to continue. 

Ezra took a deep breath and put his hand on his hip. He looked towards the sky as if he were gaining the strength for what he was about to tell you.

"Would you ever consider staying?" he asked, looking down at you. "Here. With me? You and your children?"

When you did not respond, he continued. 

"I must confess to you, Princess, that my intentions are purely selfish and I do not wish to see you go. I have gone against every instinct I have that is telling me to never let you leave. I know this planet is no place for you, but I cannot stand the thought of never seeing you again. I know that you must return home, and I wish to see to it personally that you are safe, even if it means breaking my own heart in the process."

You stared up at him, mouth agape in shock. Ezra had essentially confessed his love for you in the most beautiful way possible. You quickly scrambled to your feet, wanting nothing more than to pull him close and never let go. But you knew that you couldn't. You needed to go home, if for nothing else than to fulfill the duties bestowed upon you before you were even born.

"Oh, Ezra," you whispered, your voice thick with tears. "I want to. It would make me so happy, but I just-- I can't do it. My mother, my grandmother. They would be so upset if I never came home."

He cupped your cheek in his hand and smiled sadly. He brushed his thumb along your cheekbone and pressed his forehead against yours.

"This really is no place for your family anyway," he said softly. "And you deserve better than an old prospector like myself. Someday, I think, somewhere in time, we will meet again. Come on, I'll clean myself up and load your things into the ship. Gather your flock, Princess. One last time."

You started to protest but he shook his head. He pressed a kiss to your cheek and smiled. "It'll be alright. Don't worry. Better to do this now than keep prolonging our goodbyes."

A few hours later, you were strapping the children into flight seats on the modified pod that Charlie had built. It seemed surreal. When you first left home, you were frantically buckling their seat belts, looking over your shoulder, waiting for someone to come through the door and kill you. This time though, instead of looking scared, your children looked sad.

You didn't want to show the children you were sad too. It didn't feel right, leaving the farm. But you knew what you had to do. You had to go back to your mother and grandmother. 

"Mama?" Marie mumbled sadly. "Are we going home for real?" She wiped her nose on the back of her hand and held tightly to her seat belt. When you nodded, she began to cry softly. 

"Can we come back someday?" Henry asked. 

"Can we, mama?" Aiden chirped. "Please?"

"I'm sure we will," you soothed, pressing kisses to each of their foreheads.

You made sure everything was secure in the bins overhead and underfoot before you double checked the flight book. Ezra had already assured you many times he'd be there to ensure a safe flight and landing, but you couldn't shake the nervous feeling in your belly that something was going to go wrong.

Ezra climbed aboard just as you were securing the final bin below your seat, calling his greetings to Juanita and Marta. They had promised to watch the animals while Ezra was away and he couldn't pass up the offer. 

"Are you ready?" he asked, holding his hand out to you. He helped you to your seat and smiled sadly. "I'll make sure you are safe, Princess, don't worry."

You nodded and strapped yourself in as Ezra slid into the pilot's chair. He glanced around at the children and then at you before flipping the switches to power the ship on. 

You reached over to hold Marie's hand as the ship rumbled to life. She hugged her stuffed dog to her chest and closed her eyes. A little whine squeaked out when you felt the ship lift off the ground and you squeezed her hand to comfort her.

Aiden and Henry held each other's hands and Aiden reached for your free hand. They all seemed so small strapped into the flight seats. So small, yet they'd grown so much since you had arrived on Muir. You wondered what your grandmother and mother would say about them. And about how you changed as well. 

You certainly had more muscle than when you first showed up, scared and stumbling into the  _ Libertalia.  _ You had helped out on the little farm, lifting and raking where Ezra needed assistance. The weight you still carried from having your children still sat at your hips, though your dresses were now looser and more ill-fitting. Perhaps the most notable change, to yourself anyway, was your smile. You smiled far more often than you used to. It felt good. And it was all thanks to Ezra.

You glanced over at him as he piloted the ship out into the vast emptiness of space. He looked back at you in the little mirror that had been taped to the comm piece and smiled sadly. 

If you were being completely honest with yourself, you were apprehensive about going back to the palace. Something didn't feel right about the situation with Edgar and you hoped to talk to your mother immediately to alert her to what had happened. With any luck, you would be able to find a guard to fetch them as soon as you arrived.

Nearly a full cycle later, you woke from a twilight sleep as the ship rumbled and shook violently. The boys were already awake and watching Ezra with rapt attention. Marie was the only one still asleep now, her little head tucked against her chest, stuffed dog held loosely in one hand.

"Hang on, boys," Ezra urged as he flipped a few switches. The shaking stopped, but the rumbling was still enough to cause one of the overhead bins to bang open and send the contents tumbling. 

You let out a cry and braced yourself against the seat beside you as the whole ship lurched forward. Marie woke with a terrified wail, her head whipping around with the movement of the ship. 

"That was the reentry!" Ezra called back over his shoulder. "Just gotta set her down easy. Just a little more."

The entire ship bounced several times as it landed hard. It rolled over twice and finally came to rest with a deafening groan, leaving you all angled uncomfortably in your seats. The floor was slanted just enough that it would make it difficult to get out of your seats. 

Ezra unbuckled himself and slid out of the chair onto the floor. He turned to face you with a small smile. "Home at last."

You looked away, not wanting to look him in the eye. It would be too painful to say goodbye and you just wish he would leave you to find your own way back.

Ezra did his best to corral your children out of the tiny pod before he ducked back in to gather your few belongings. He had made sure you were safely out before he climbed down and jumped to the grass below.

"What do we say, children?" you asked, combing your fingers through Henry's shaggy locks. 

"Thank you, Mr. Ezra," they mumbled sadly, looking down at the ground. Aiden wiped his nose on the back of his hand and then stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Now cheer up," Ezra hummed as he took out a map. "I'm sure you'll have a big celebration for your return. You'll have the best meal you've had in months."

"Mama, do you think they'll know how to make those yummy soups we made a while ago?" Henry asked you.

"I'm sure they will, my darling," you replied with a smile. "Come along. Take your sister's hand."

Ezra hummed a short tune as he guided you all through the field, leaving the destroyed pod behind. He slung your bag over his shoulder and glanced back down at the map.

"How long do we still have to walk?" Aiden asked as he jogged ahead to keep up with Ezra. 

You sighed softly and looked around as Ezra explained to your son how to read the map. The planet had changed with the seasons since you'd been gone. It was almost springtime now. The last of the snow had finally melted away and new flowers were starting under the brown grasses at your feet. The air was still crisp but growing warmer, and for now, it still nipped at your cheeks and nose as you made your way home.

The walk to town was quiet, save for your children playing and running circles around you and Ezra. The two of you spoke quietly to one another, saying only your thanks and goodbyes. You knew how much he cared for you, and he knew how much you cared for him. You would never forget him, and it saddened you to leave him like this. Perhaps in another life, you could be with him.

It was dark by the time you reached the outskirts of town, and the moon was high in the clear, cloudless sky. The children, you found, were lagging behind and stumbling over their own feet as they grew more and more tired. 

Ezra bent to pick Marie up and she almost immediately fell asleep in his arms. He smiled fondly at her and then looked at you.

"Princess, if I may be so bold, I think it best if we hunker down for the night and continue on our journey tomorrow. It won't be too much further. I think some rest would do us good."

You looked towards the bright lights of the city center and sighed softly. It was indeed late and you supposed one more night couldn't hurt.

"Alright," you said softly. "Children, what do you think?"

The boys nodded and rubbed their eyes sleepily. It seemed as though they were the only thing keeping each other upright. 

"There's a little inn listed here on the map," Ezra said, nodding at a brightly lit two story building a few hundred feet from where you stood. "Seems as good a place to stay than any."

You smiled and nodded. One more night to spend with Ezra. It was as though Kevva was indeed looking out for you and hearing your prayers. "This will be perfect."

Ezra smiled and led the way down the path towards the little inn. He passed over Marie to your arms and set your backpack down. "I'll be right back," he said as he opened the door to the main office of the inn. He returned several minutes later with two sets of room tags and nodded to the top floor.

You set Marie down and picked up the backpack as Ezra herded the children up the stairs. You followed them and wondered how the children would get along after he left you. They would ask for him and cry when he didn't come, this much you knew. Could you disappoint them like that?

"A suite for the little flock," Ezra hummed as he unlocked the door. The children, now slightly more awake, rushed in, pushing and shoving one another to try and be first. There were two single beds and a fold out cot against the wall. Perfect for three adventurous children.

"Oh, Ez," you chuckled as the boys launched themselves onto the beds, whooping and cheering loudly. "Boys, boys! You must be quiet, other people are trying to sleep. Now, Aiden or Henry, one of you needs to let your sister have one of the beds."

"I will, mama," Henry offered quickly. "If I'm gonna be an explorer some day, I'll need to practice sleeping on a bedroll!"

You smiled and nodded. "Very good, my darling. Now say goodnight to Mr. Ezra."

One by one the children said their goodnights to him before they turned towards their beds.

"We're right next door whenever you're finished here, Princess," Ezra murmured. His touch on your back lingered long after he pulled away.

You quickly got the children tucked into their beds, explaining they were to be on their best behavior. They were not to open the door for anyone and that you were next door if they needed you. You pressed kisses to each of their cheeks before you turned the light off. 

Just before you shut the light off, you heard Aiden ask, "Mama, do you think Mr. Ezra will want to stay with us now?"

"I don't know, my love," you replied softly. "Goodnight, sweetheart."

Ezra was already on the bed when you entered your room and you were shocked to only find one large bed in your room. You would have thought Ezra would have gotten another room like the one for the children.

"This was all that was left, Princess," he hummed as if he could read your mind. "Figured the children wouldn't mind those little beds as much as we would. Besides, I thought you deserved a nice big bed to sleep in tonight. There's a little cot for me there, don't worry."

You bit your lip and looked at him, spread out and relaxed on the bed. He had kicked his boots off and the deep green of his sweater had ridden up his torso slightly to reveal a strip of tan skin.

"I think I'm going to wash up," you said quickly as you rushed towards the restroom. You kept your eyes down to avoid looking at him. He didn't need to see your blush. Ezra watched you carefully, his dark eyes never leaving you, even when you turned to shut the door.

After you washed up, you realized the backpack was still out by the door in the bedroom. There was no way to get it without Ezra seeing you. One threadbare towel the inn provided was definitely not enough.

"Ez?" you called softly when you cracked open the door. "Can you get my robe? Please?"

You heard the springs creak on the bed and Ezra appeared in front of the washroom door. He had removed his sweater at some point while you washed up and he handed it to you. His eyes never left yours as you gratefully accepted the sweater.

"Thank you," you murmured as you slipped it on over your head. You felt your cheeks heat up when Ezra did not look away.

You opened up the washroom door fully to reveal him standing before you, looking at you with a sort of reverence you had only read about. 

"I have," he said breathlessly. "In my more desperate hours, thought about this very moment. I admit that I have pictured you in a hundred different instances, but none of them compare to how you glow in this light. Like a star. My starshine."

You blushed and turned your head slightly. Your cheeks felt hot and his gaze ignited something within you that you thought had been buried long ago. A fire, burning through the night.

"Will you come to bed?" Ezra whispered as you approached him. He gently placed his hand on your waist and pulled you close.

You brushed your lips against his and nodded as you curled your fingers over his cheeks. "Yes," you breathed.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HERE YALL GO. I'm sorry this chapter was late getting out. November is Trauma Center(TM) month for me and my brain meats have a hard time keeping up. I love yall.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing schedule? Maybe someday. Sorry this chapter is a little later than normal. November is not a good month for me, mental health wise, but I persevered!

The next morning, you awoke long after the sun began to stream through the slatted shutters of the inn. You felt warm and safe and happier than you'd felt in months. You hadn't felt so relaxed and refreshed in years, the more you thought about it. It was perfect. You stretched your legs beneath the sheets and groaned in pleasure at the feeling.

"Now there is one of the most angelic sounds I've ever heard," Ezra murmured beside you. You cracked open one eye to look at him. He was laying on his side, propped up on his elbow, watching you with a serene expression. The thin gray sheet covered him below the waist and you rolled over to look at him properly. 

You ran a hand through his disheveled hair and cupped his cheek in your palm. "Good morning, Ez," you mumbled sleepily. You shifted closer to him under the sheets and he leaned down to press a kiss to your forehead. 

"Sleep well, Princess?" he asked, nudging his nose against yours. 

"I haven't slept that well in so long," you admitted with a smile. You drew up the blanket over your chest and nuzzled against his arm. 

"Nor have I," he said. "I am usually plagued by vivid nightmares and have to relive horrors no man should bear witness to in his lifetime. It's why I tear through novels like they are simple children's stories. Better to keep the mind occupied with fantasy than to face reality."

You frowned and traced his lips and the contour of his sharp nose with your fingers. "You of all people should know it does not do well to bury your head in the sand. It can be dangerous."

"If I fell asleep to your touch every night and awoke to this every morning," Ezra hummed, "I doubt I would ever have trouble sleeping again."

"Perhaps only for one reason," you replied with a grin as you leaned up to kiss him.

Just as Ezra leaned down to meet your lips with a smirk, there was an excited pounding at the door. The two of you broke away almost instantly.

"Mama!" Marie cried from the other side of the door. "Mama, wake up!"

Ezra looked over his shoulder and chuckled before dropping his head to your breast and placing a single kiss there. "Perfect timing," he groaned as he slid out of bed. He grabbed his pants and yanked them on before he tossed you his sweater from the day before.

"As always," you chuckled. You pulled on the sweater and tidied your hair as best you could. 

Marie's incessant knocking continued until Ezra pulled open the door. 

"Mama!" Marie squealed as she clambered up onto the bed. "Mama! We're going back to see grandmother, aren't we?" She squished your face between her hands and pressed her nose to yours.

With a laugh, you gently pried her hands from your face and nodded. "Yes, my little bug. We are going to see her today."

"And we can introduce her to Mr. Ezra, can't we?" Marie snuggled against you and turned in your lap to look at Ezra as he pulled on a threadbare t-shirt. 

"That's only if Mr. Ezra wants to," you reminded her gently. "And if he has the time. He is more than welcome, though."

Ezra chuckled and nodded. "We shall see if my busy schedule allows for it, little bird. For now though, what would you and your brothers say to some breakfast?"

Marie gasped and nodded as she clapped her hands excitedly. "Breakfast! Yes, please!"

"Go wake your lazy bones brothers up," he said, holding the door open for her. "Dressed and clean, the lot of you!"

You drew your legs up beneath the blankets as Ezra shut the door behind her. Ezra's tone was very paternal towards your children and you couldn't help but smile at the feeling that stirred inside you.

"You're so good with them," you said softly when he looked at you with a puzzled expression. "The children simply adore you. That's plain enough for anyone to see."

He smiled and picked a dress out of the backpack for you. "I would have to be a fool to not see it, Princess. Here, this dress is one of my favorites, I'd like to see it on you one last time."

You bit your lip and brushed your hand against his when he handed it to you. "Ez, I---"

"A short, sweet goodbye," he said, bringing your hand to his lips. He pressed a soft kiss there before letting it fall to your lap. "It will be best for all of us."

You brushed the tears away and looked down at the dress he had handed you. It was the dress you wore the first full day on the little farm. Soft, cream colored cotton with a pale pink floral pattern. It barely brushed against your calves and the lace trim at the bottom hem had become tattered and tickled the back of your legs when you walked.

Ezra smiled sadly and watched you for a moment from the washroom door before he shut it behind him. 

You waited until you heard the water running before you climbed out of bed to change. Something caught your attention in the pocket after you smoothed down the front and you reached in and pulled out a flat gray stone. The surface was smooth and cool under your fingers. It was from the day you'd all gotten up before dawn to hike to a nearby lake. Ezra had taught the children how to skip stones across the surface of the water. You sat on the edge of the bed and held it in your palms until it grew warm to the touch, trying to hold onto the memory of that day.

The bedroom door opened with a bang and the children entered, all asking a million questions at the same time. Henry climbed into your lap as you slid the stone back into your pocket. He yawned widely and then grinned at you.

"Mama, guess what!" he asked, bouncing on your legs. Without waiting for a reply, he continued. "I lost another tooth!"

"Oh, darling, that's wonderful!" you exclaimed. "How many have you lost so far? Four?"

"Three," Aiden chirped from beside you. "I lost four."

"Ah, yes," you chuckled, squeezing Henry tightly. "Now I remember that. Well, give it here, I will make sure I hold on tight to it."

Henry passed over the tooth and flashed you his gapped-tooth smile. You pressed a kiss to his forehead and gently nudged him off your lap.

You began to tidy up the hotel room, collecting both yours and Ezra's scattered clothing from the night before. It didn't take long until everything was sorted and repacked. By the time you'd finished, Ezra had rejoined you, his hair still damp from the washer. 

The children had stopped jumping on the bed so they could sit with him and listen to the story he was telling them. Marie sat, wide-eyed and captivated as he described the princess who traversed the entire galaxy, searching for her lost love. It was a story Ezra had been telling them nightly for the past week or so. He looked up at you and winked when he told the children of the princess' love confession in order to save her lover from the clutches of an evil witch.

"No matter where you go or what you do," he said softly. "There will be nothing in this galaxy or any other that will keep me from you. Through every black hole and supernova, I will always be there."

"Count on it!" the children erupted into giggles as they parroted what was apparently the fictional princess' catchphrase. 

You smiled as Ezra hugged each of the children separately. Little Marie clung to his neck and refused to let him go.

"Come on," he gently urged the children. "Let's go get something good to eat and then I can take you home. What do you say?"

The children all nodded sadly and stood up. "Yes, Mr. Ezra."

"Now," he hummed, "Why those long faces? You're gonna be home with your grandmother soon. And you'll forget all about me soon enough."

Marie snuggled in closer and shook her head. "I don't ever want to forget about you, Mr. Ezra! I promise I won't."

"Oh, little bird," he soothed. "It'll be alright, don't you worry."

You sighed softly and picked up the knapsack off the bed. Henry held tight to his brother's hand and stood beside the door as you got ready to leave. Neither of them would look at you or at Ezra and it broke your heart.

A few hours later, after a breakfast that you intentionally let go on much longer than necessary, you finally approached the palace gates where until recently, you had never left their safety for longer than a few weeks. It was nice to be back, you figured, you just wished Ezra would be staying as well. Perhaps you could convince him to stay for at least one night. His words about a short goodbye echoed in your head. Neither of you had made it particularly easy and only seemed to prolong your inevitable goodbyes with every passing minute.

You called to get the children's attention as you stood outside the gates. As you tried to make them look as presentable as possible, Ezra hung around, watching you with a fond expression.

Ezra cleared his throat in an attempt to distract himself from the tears that pricked at the corners of his eyes. He knew he would regret leaving for the rest of his days. But you deserved better than a shabby little rundown farm and a one armed ex-aurelac harvester. He felt like he was unworthy of your love, hell, unworthy of your very presence. He was too rough, too violent. His hands were too bloody from his past to hold you at night.

"Ezra, will you please come inside?" you asked, reaching over to touch his arm. "My mother, she will want to thank you properly. And you could stay for a day or two to gather your supplies. Perhaps they will give you payment as a reward for returning us home." You reached out with your other hand to press the button to let yourself through the gates.

Ezra shook his head and offered a small smile. "What I want isn't something that money can buy, Princess. I am just happy to know that you are safe now. Besides, a palace seems a slight bit too regal for my less than refined appearance. I worry I would repulse even the poor staff with my presence."

You wanted to protest his denial, wanted to throw yourself into his arms and beg him to stay with you and the children, not just for the night, but forever more. You nearly burst into tears when you looked over as the front door swung open. The fence opened just wide enough for you two usher the children through.

Edgar came walking towards you, followed quickly by three palace guards. To your surprise, he actually looked less enthused than he normally did. He wore a deep scowl on his face and glared at Ezra as he got closer.

"I should go, Princess," Ezra said, softly. He brushed his fingers against your hand as he pressed the backpack into your arms. "Before they think me a vagrant and toss me in your dungeon. Until our paths cross again."

He helped you to squeeze through the gate before he pressed a soft kiss to your hand. "Au revoir, your highness."

You wanted to call after him as he walked away, back towards the town center. 

He would be gone in the morning light, back to Muir, back to the farm. And you might never see him again.

Beside you, the children were sobbing and begging him to come back. Marie tried to run after him, but Aiden held her close, shushing her quietly.

"Duchess, welcome home!" Edgar exclaimed as the gate swung open. The three guards quickly circled you and the children and you glanced over one of their shoulders as Ezra disappeared around the corner. 

It wasn't supposed to end like this...

"Oh, we've been so worried!" Edgar continued with a smirk, tilting your chin up with his finger. Repulsed by his sudden forwardness, you jerked away from his touch. You gasped as the larger of the three guards shoved you. The children jumped in surprise at the action. "You weren't supposed to come back, you know. You were supposed to die out there, not cavort with the locals!"

"I--- what?" you asked, trying to back away. The hairs on the back of your neck stood up as the guards moved in closer. Your grip on twins' wrists tightened slightly and Henry whimpered and tried to squirm away. You tried to calm him down as best you could.

"Take them away," Edgar said with a nonchalant wave of his hand. His expression turned dark and he grinned as he grabbed your chin so he could look you in the eye. "You need to be well rested. The freighter for the Green leaves tomorrow, Duchess."

"No!" you shrieked, kicking your legs wildly as the biggest guard picked you up with ease. He struck you across the face when you cried out Ezra's name. As he slung you with ease over his shoulder, you couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if only Ezra had stuck around for a bit... if only you'd told him how you felt instead of just letting him leave. "No! You will unhand me at once!"

"Mama!" Aiden cried, trying to pull the guard off of you. "Let her go! Henry!"

Two of the guards went after the twins, easily capturing them when they tried to bolt. They clapped their hands over the boys' mouths to muffle their screams for help.

Edgar went after Marie, but she quickly ducked out of his reach and doubled back to kick him in the shin. He roughly grabbed her by the arm and yanked her towards him. She let out an ear piercing scream and thrashed about in his arms.

"Mama!" she shrieked, using all of her strength to twist her arm free. "He's hurting me!"

"Stop!" you begged as the guard carried you towards the back garden of the palace. It was where your adventure began, you supposed it was only fitting it was to end there too.

The guard unceremoniously tossed you into the little garden shed. You stumbled backwards into the wall and slammed your head off of a low shelf. The last thing you saw was the other guards shoving your children into the tiny shed with you.

"Mama!" Marie wailed as darkness overtook you. 

Ezra didn't want to leave. He knew that you didn't want him to leave. He knew the children didn't want him to leave. But he also knew that your family would never approve of him should he choose to stay. 

So he did the only thing that he could do. The only thing that he'd ever done when faced with a difficult challenge. He left. Like a coward. It frustrated him to no end. He hated himself for just leaving when divine Kevva above was giving him every fucking opportunity to stay.

He knew something was wrong when the butler marched out of the house with three guards in tow. Based on the way he'd heard you talk about this place, it didn't exactly seem like the welcome wagon that he expected. But you didn't seem too concerned. There was no fear in your eyes...

"Au revoir, your highness," he murmured as he pressed a kiss to the back of your hand. He only could hope that what he wanted to say so badly was evident in his kiss.

As he walked away, he did his best to ignore the children crying out after him. It pained him to do that to the poor kids, especially given how much they'd gone through, but he was so sure he was doing the right thing.

Immediately after he rounded the corner of the fence, he heard the childrens' sharp cries for help. Fear and alarm sound different than grief, he'd learned in his many years. You were in danger. The children were in danger.

Ezra took off running in the direction he'd come from, back towards the children, back to you. He crept along the fence, following the voices of the guards, and, he could only pray, you were among them. He wasn't fast enough to reach you, though he was able to get close enough to see the guard drag you into a stone tool shed through a slat in the fencing. 

The alarmed cries of the children were almost completely muffled when the butler slammed the door of the shed.

"No one goes into that shed," the butler growled. Ezra vaguely remembered you'd called him Edgar and expressed a dislike for him, the reason for which you couldn't quite pin down.

The guards murmured in compliance as Edgar made his way back towards the house. 

All Ezra needed to do was lure three highly-trained royal guards away from the shed so he could rescue you and the children. Easy. Right?

Ezra swore under his breath as he weighed his options. The only thing he could think of right now, aside from his absolute terror for you and the children, was the irony of the situation. The butler did it.

He could hear the children pounding on the door, pleading with the guards to let them out.

"Please!" one of the boys begged, his voice barely audible to Ezra. "Our mother hit her head! She won't wake up!"

"Shut up," one of the guards ordered, slamming his fist on the door. "No one in and no one out, your  _ highness _ !"

Ezra couldn't help but roll his eyes. They were part of a plot to abduct the royal family and yet they couldn't stop with the formalities. 

He looked around, trying to find some way he could get inside the fence. It wouldn't be easy. They were wealthy and could easily afford to have a study fence to keep riffraff like him out of their garden. 

"I wish Mr. Ezra was here," Marie's sweet voice came from inside the shed. She sounded close to tears. 

"Aw, shut up, Marie," came the other twin. "Do you think he's gonna come get us? He left..."

Ezra shook his head. He couldn't let this happen to the children. Couldn't let them be shipped off to the inhospitable hell that was the Green. He wouldn't let it happen, no matter what. They were children.

He stood up and scoured the outside wall of the fence. It was about eight feet high, solid concrete posts, interspersed with iron beams. It reminded Ezra of a prison, not a home for children. If he stayed behind the concrete barriers, the guards would not see him. 

He peered around the edge of the barrier, trying to see the tiny shed where the children and the Duchess were being kept.

Suddenly, he felt the cool tip of a thrower pressed against the back of his head. He slowly held up his hand and straightened his back.

"The fuck do you think you're doing back here?" asked a harsh voice, warped and deepened by a vocoder. "This is private property."

"Pardon the intrusion," Ezra said, keeping his voice even. He closed his eyes and didn't turn around to face the man who had him cornered. "It sounded like someone was in distress. I only came to investigate. I must have been incorrect."

"Get up," the voice barked. Once Ezra was on his feet, the thrower was pressed against his lower back. "Walk. Slow now, no funny shit."

"I don’t believe I am in any position to try anything, regardless of whether or not I want to."

"Shut up," the voice growled. "Walk."

"Do I have a choice?" Ezra asked, smirking to himself even as the guard shoved him forward. He tripped and fell onto his knees with a grunt. 

"Let's go," the man snarled, yanking Ezra back to his feet by his jacket collar. He pushed and shoved Ezra towards an access door in the fence further from the shed. Once inside, the guard gave him another rough shove towards the other guards.

Ezra barely caught himself from face planting into the cobblestone path of the garden with his arm. He hissed in pain and rolled onto his side.

"Caught this one snooping around," he said. "Claimed he heard a noise."

"Saw him hanging around when the Duchess rang the bell," another guard said as he turned Ezra's head with the toe of his boot.

"Maybe we can tell her majesty this one was holding her granddaughter for ransom," another sneered. He pressed his boot against Ezra's arm with enough force to cause Ezra to choke back a curse.

"There will be none of that!" Edgar hissed as he scurried back to the huddled group. "We need to act quickly. They heard the children's shouts. We must move them at once, before they suspect me further."

Ezra wheezed a laugh and shook his head as one of the guards hauled him to his knees. "You're going through a whole lot of effort just for some money."

Edgar scowled and crouched down beside him. He tangled his fist in Ezra's hair and jerked his head upright, causing him to grit his teeth and grunt in pain.

"I'm not doing it for the money, you mangy, filthy mongrel," Edgar snarled, his face dangerously close to Ezra's. "No, no. The old bat is going to leave me nothing when she finally dies. Nothing! And if her bitch of a daughter and her intolerable little brats are still in the picture, I'm to be cast out! But if there's no one left, all that power is mine."

"And you think if no one's left, it somehow magically goes to you?" Ezra wheezed through the pain in his arm. "That is some of the most absolutely dimwitted--"

Edgar scowled and delivered a quick punch to Ezra's stomach. He smirked when the other man went limp in the arms of his captors for a moment.

"Now, do be a good lad and keep quiet," Edgar urged. "I just may let you accompany the children and the Duchess on the charter to the Green if you behave."

"No chance, Eddie," he chuckled breathlessly. "I never have been one for behaving, see? Too much paperwork."

"Very well," Edgar frowned and let Ezra fall back into the arms of the guard holding him. He jerked his head in the direction of the tiny tool shed. "Just you then. Kill them."

"No!" Ezra cried desperately as the guards readied their throwers. The low hum of charging weapons filled the brief silence that followed. His voice echoed off the palace walls and Edgar turned to him with a smile. "Please. Do not kill them." Ezra bared his teeth at the butler. "Let them go! Now! I worked on the Green before. I can do it again! I will take their place on the Green. Not them,  _ please _ . Please--"

"That's  _ enough _ !" a voice rang out, crisp and clear through the tension of the garden. "What in Kevva's name is going on out here!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! As always thanks for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

"That's  _ enough _ !" a voice rang out, crisp and clear through the tension of the garden. "What in Kevva's name is going on out here?!"

Edgar whipped around to face the newcomer into the group. He looked bewildered and a little horrified when the woman approached and he glanced towards Ezra, who was still on his knees at the mercy of the two guards holding him down. 

"M-milady," Edgar stammered, trying to shield her from Ezra with his body. "Is there something you need? More tea, perhaps?"

"I heard some commotion," she said softly as she tightened a shawl around her shoulders. "It sounded like the children!"

Edgar scowled and then smiled as he placed his hand on his chest. "Your highness, please know I have had my men searching diligently for them for months now. There's been no sign of them."

"Your highness," Ezra gasped, trying to crane his neck to look around Edgar. "Please, the children, they're---"

One of the guards holding Ezra slammed the back of his thrower into the side of his head. He grunted in pain and dropped to the ground. One guard let him go and the other twisted his arm around against his back and Ezra let out a sharp cry. He twisted his head around and stared up at her, his eyes brimming with involuntary tears.

"The children?" she whispered, one hand flying to the brooch at her neck. She stared at Ezra for a moment before she turned back to Edgar. "Who is this man?"

"A vagrant, your majesty," Edgar said dismissively with a wave of his hand. "We found him trying to break into the palace through the back gate."

"Please," Ezra groaned, trying to break his hand free of the guard's grasp. "Please, the children are in danger!"

"What is he saying?" the woman asked, peering around Edgar even as he tried to gently nudge her away. She glared at her butler and moved to push his hands free from her. "About the children? Young man, the children! Speak up!"

"Fuck! They're in the shed!" Ezra cried out in pain as the guard twisted his arm around further. He felt his shoulder pop and protest as it was pushed to its limits. Another guard delivered a swift kick to his stomach.

"Shut up, dog!" one of them ordered.

The woman began to weep and she shook her head. "You are cruel. Please do not speak of such things! Do not torture an old woman like this!"

"Grandmother!" Muffled, frantic voices echoed throughout the garden.

The woman, now known to Ezra as the princess, the Duchess' mother, froze in place. Tears streamed down her face and she slowly turned to face Edgar.

"What is the meaning of this?" she asked, finally pushing herself away from him. He let her go without trying to stop her. She turned to one of the guards and pointed at the shed. "You! Open that shed at once!"

"Please!" one of the twins shouted. "Mama is hurt!"

One of the guards swiftly moved to the shed, despite the loud protests from Edgar. He busted the lock holding the children and the Duchess inside and yanked the door open.

The princess shouted with joy and dropped to her knees as the children came running towards her. She opened her arms wide and pulled them in for a warm embrace.

"Your highness!" the guard shouted, drawing the princess' attention from laving her grandchildren with kisses. He stepped out of the shed, holding the Duchess in his arms.

Her face was covered in blood as it dripped from a cut on her hairline. There were streaks of it on the cream colored fabric of her dress and on her hands from where she'd grabbed at the wound.

"Princess!" Ezra croaked, his voice coming out jagged and rough with effort.

The princess turned to him and followed his agonized gaze to her daughter. She stood and rushed to her daughter's side, ordering the guard to set her body down.

"Call for the doctor at once!" she ordered. As the guard rushed towards the house, she quickly added, "And the police!"

Ezra grunted in pain as the guard holding him pressed down on his back with his boot.

"Fuck," he croaked, "Let me up! The duchess--"

"Do not let him up until the police arrive!" Edgar ordered. "He stays right there!"

"Mr. Ezra!" Marie cried, rushing towards him. She knelt down beside him and patted his hair. "Mama called your name in the shed. Are you okay?"

"Get away from him, girl!" Edgar snarled, yanking her away by the arm.

She gave a shrill yell and tried to pull away from him. "No!! Grandmama, he's hurting me!"

The princess looked up from her daughter and drew herself up to her full height. Even though the guards towered over her, they shrunk back in fear.

"Edgar, you will unhand her at once!" she ordered. She pointed to the guard that was still detaining Ezra. "And you, you will apprehend him!"

The guard glanced at the others and then at Edgar. He let Ezra fall unceremoniously to the ground and sprung towards Edgar. Though the butler attempted to flee, he was easily captured and wrestled to the ground. 

Ezra wheezed and shook with the effort of holding himself upright on one hand. Marie, with all her little strength, tried to help lift him into a sitting position.

Aiden and Henry rushed over to hoist him up. They shouldered his weight as best they could and helped him crawl on his knees towards the Duchess.

"Grandmother," Henry said sheepishly as he glanced between the two adults. "This is Mr. Ezra. He rescued us."

Ezra bowed his head and winced in pain at the movement. "Your majesty. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"He saved us from the bad man," Marie said, climbing into his lap. She smiled and wrapped her little arms around his shoulders. "Tried to save us from Edgar too!"

Loud sirens wailed in the distance, growing closer by the minute as the authorities made their way to the palace.

"Grandmother," Aiden murmured, putting his hand on hers as she held the Duchess in her arms. "Is Mr. Ezra in trouble?"

She started to reply, but was cut off by a furious cry from Edgar as he thrashed in the arms of the guards. "This is an outrage! Completely ridiculous! Unhand me immediately!" He continued to resist them even as they dragged him into the house. 

The princess smiled and looked at her grandchildren. She put her hand on Marie's cheek and looked at all three of her grandchildren. "No, my loves. If he rescued you, he is not in trouble."

Marie giggled and held on tight to Ezra as the sirens grew closer. She reached down and held her mother's hand, not wanting anyone to tear them apart.

The Duchess finally, blessedly came to when Ezra called her name just as police and additional palace security entered the garden. She reached up with a shaky hand and held onto his arm. "Thank you," she whispered.

Ezra leaned down and kissed her forehead. He nudged his nose against hers and smiled. "Always, Princess. Always."

A few days after the events in the garden, you finally were released from the care of the palace physicians and allowed to go back to your room. The children were grateful for that and insisted on walking with you back to your bedroom, asking you a million questions simultaneously.

You answered each of their questions patiently, hoping they would understand what had happened. You decided it best to leave out the part where Edgar had essentially sold you all in an attempt to claim the throne for himself. 

Your mother and grandmother had come to your room in the physician's ward as soon as you were feeling better and explained everything that had happened once Edgar had been apprehended by authorities. 

It somehow had come to light that Edgar was to be dismissed following the death of the Queen, and a new staff would be brought in, as was customary. Apparently, he was not a fan of that tradition, and set about making it so he would never have to leave, by way of the murder and imprisonment the entire royal family.

However, he had not planned on the kindness of strangers when he dropped your pod over Muir's atmosphere. He never planned that you would even survive the drop.

He especially didn't plan on you falling in love. 

Quite honestly, you didn't plan on it either. Falling in love isn't something one ever plans, like a dinner party or a trip to the store. It is spontaneous and beautiful, like a summer rainstorm. 

Ezra had been to visit you every day while you were in the physician's ward. He would never have left your side had it not been for the palace doctor ordering you to bed at a reasonable hour.

When you finally reached your bedroom, the children opened the doors for you, insisting they wanted to help as much as they could. Marie was bouncing on her feet as her brothers pulled open the doors. You glanced down at her and raised a brow. The children had been more secretive this morning and you'd not seen Ezra at all.

Everything clicked into place when you stepped into your bedroom. Sunlight streamed through the large open windows that overlooked the garden. A gentle breeze lifted the gossamer curtains so they brushed the legs of the furniture. On almost every surface were vases brimming with flowers and hundreds of cards from well-wishers, their hopes for your speedy recovery scribbled inside. In the middle of it all, and perhaps the most beautiful sight, was Ezra.

He offered you that same boyish grin he flashed you the first day you met. His hair, normally shaggy and unruly, had been smoothed down, though it had definitely put up a fight. He wore a new deep green sweater, the sleeve of his missing arm neatly pinned up.

"Princess," he hummed, holding his arm out to you. "Welcome home. I suspect I am not the first to properly say so, but I am---"

You raced towards him and threw yourself into his waiting arm to kiss him deeply. Behind you, the children giggled and Marie clapped her hands.

"Mama, mama!" she cried, "Mama, guess what?!"

"Shut up, Marie!" Aiden shushed, putting a finger to his lips. 

You pulled away from the kiss and scolded your eldest. "Apologize to your sister."

"Aw, Princess, they're just kids," Ezra hummed, cupping your cheek and pulling you back in for a kiss. "They're just excited, that's all."

"What are you all excited for?" you asked as you turned to your children. They glanced over your shoulder briefly before shaking their heads innocently.

"Nothing," Marie said, averting her gaze.

"Just excited you're back with us," Mama," Henry said with a toothy grin.

"Yes, we missed you!" Aiden chimed in.

"I'm so glad you're all terrible liars," you said with a chuckle. "I know you won't get into mischief when you're older. Now what are you planning?"

Ezra chuckled and wrapped his arm around your waist and rested it against your lower back. "Princess, will you take a walk in the garden with me?"

You raised a brow and then nodded slowly, a bit hesitant. Whatever they were planning, obviously all four of them were involved. 

You wondered what could be such a big secret that they were keeping it from you - especially the children. They could never keep a secret from you for very long. "Of course."

Ezra grinned and offered his arm for you to loop yours through. The sunlight lit up his face, and for a moment, the blonde tuft of hair appeared white. 

You smiled and gave his arm a squeeze. "Lead the way, sir."

The children trailed behind you at a distance, giggling excitedly and shushing one another. Every time you glanced back at them, they quieted themselves and straightened their backs, trying too hard to appear completely innocent.

The back garden had been meticulously cleaned and maintained in the few days since you'd arrived back at the palace. There was no evidence that something horrific had almost occurred there. Everything had been put back in order, per Ezra's careful dictation to the staff, though he had sheepishly admitted to lending a hand now and then.

He gave you a personal, private tour, pointing out the changes he'd made, and what was still to come. 

"All of it," he said, kissing the back of your hand. "For you, Princess. I know how much you love this garden and all its vibrant splendor, so I hope I have not overstepped nor made any critical mistakes."

"Oh, Ez," you breathed, looking at the new plants he had helped the palace staff plant and place, "It's so beautiful! I love it! Is this what you had been keeping so secret, children?"

The three of them giggled and shook their heads. "No, mama," they answered in the type of perfect, rehearsed unison that usually came with ulterior motives.

"Alright, you three," Ezra said with a firm, but mischievous look. "I think it's high time you go find your grandmother. Or see if Mara needs help in the kitchen. Now."

The children giggled again and took off running back towards the house, whispering excitedly the whole way. Something was definitely up. 

"What in the stars name is going on?" you asked, turning to look at Ezra.

He looked at you, his mouth set in a firm line, his eyes locked with yours. He gave your hand a squeeze and took a deep breath to steady himself.

"All of this," he said softly, gesturing with a nod of his head around at the garden, "All of this, is my gift to you, Princess. I couldn't simply just leave this place filled with those memories of what transpired here the other day. It would not have been right."

Your heart sank into your stomach and you felt your breath catch in your throat. Tears welled up in your eyes, stinging and threatening to spill down your face. "Ezra, why does this sound like you're going away? Like I'm never going to see you again? Why does this sound like our goodbye?" 

Ezra reached up to brush the tears away before they even had a chance to fall. He gently pulled you in for a kiss and smiled against your mouth. When you let out a sob, he shook his head. "Hey, now. There isn't gonna be any of that, okay? No crying, no goodbyes. I'm going to stay here with you."

You hiccupped and looked at him in disbelief. Was he being serious? Did he mean it? He wanted to stay here. With you. With the children. 

"You mean it?" you breathed, unable to find the words to properly speak. It felt as if the very air had been pulled from your lungs --- but in the absolute best way possible.

" With my whole heart, I do," he said with a soft smile. "When I saw you get pulled out of that shed a few days ago, I realized that if I lost you then, I would be a broken man. Nothing would feel complete in my life if I never saw you, never saw those kids again. So, if you will have me, I would like it very much if I were able to stay here with you. Forever, if you will have me."

"Ezra," you breathed, tears sliding down your cheeks before you could even stop them. "Ez, are you asking what---"

He cleared his throat and clenched his jaw so hard, you saw the muscle tense in his cheek. "I am asking you something that a few years ago, I would have deemed completely out of character for myself. But it would bring me the greatest joy in my life if you would do me the honor of becoming my wife? A-and not just a wife, Kevva no, a partner. For life."

You nodded quickly and threw your arms around his neck, breathing in the spice of his soap. "Yes!" you gasped breathlessly. "A thousand times, yes!"

Ezra let out a bark of excited laughter and threw his arm around your waist. He pulled back and kissed you deeply, only to part with another breathless peal of laughter when the children came sprinting back into the garden.

"Did she say yes?!" Marie demanded immediately. "Mama, did you say yes?"

"Of course she did!" Henry replied with a grin. "I told you she would!"

"Does this mean we need to call Mr. Ezra "papa" now?" Aiden asked, tugging on your dress. 

You chuckled and looked down at Aiden. You put a gentle hand on the top of his head. "My sweet, you can call him whatever you wish. Though I'm sure great-grandmother will have some say as to---" You paused and looked back at Ezra.

"What's the matter?" Ezra asked, pressing a kiss to your cheek as he held you close.

"Did you ask for my grandmother's approval?" you asked quietly. When Ezra looked confused, you shook your head and continued. "She is the only one who can approve marriages within our family."

"And you have no say in this?" Ezra chuckled in disbelief. He shook his head and then looked down at Marie who had started to cry.

"I don't," you murmured. "She's the only one. It's a barbaric practice, and one that can clearly be omitted, but my grandmother is nothing if not traditional."

"Mama," Marie cried, "She's going to say no!"

You gently shushed her and bent low to pick her up. "You don't know that, little bug."

"Well, let's go ask her," Ezra insisted with a small, reassuring smile. He rubbed his thumb over your back reassuringly. "I am willing to do whatever it takes," he promised you.

You choked out a sob before you smiled through your tears. "I can only hope she will be in good spirits when you approach her."

Ezra gave a half shrug. "I've worked with far less hospitable and agreeable people, Princess. Don't you worry."

***

You felt like your grandmother was taking an exceptionally long time to give Ezra her answer. Though she was incredibly old, she was still as sharp as a tack. It was definitely something she used to her advantage - not many people anticipate her being a formidable adversary in regards to disputes. Perhaps both she and Ezra had met their match in terms of wit. 

You sat out in the dark hallway on one of the plush benches outside of her drawing room. You were no stranger to sitting here. 

This was where you'd sat while you waited for a lecture on how a proper duchess should act when you were caught climbing the tree in the garden as a child. Where you had sat when you got in trouble for sneaking off with the cook's son as a teenager. And where you had sat for hours while your first husband asked for your grandmother's blessing of his proposal.

Now, you were back. It was agony. The fear of her disapproval hung over you like a dark cloud. If she said no, it would absolutely crush you. And not to mention what it would do to the children. They were so excited at the idea that they might soon have a father. You didn't know what you would tell them if her answer was no.

Maybe you could run away with him and the children? Could that be even in the realm of possibilities? Or would they send someone after you? After what happened with Edgar, it didn't seem too unlikely.

You were finally about to give up hope of Ezra ever actually coming out of your grandmother's drawing room again when the handle jostled slightly as if someone had out their hand on it. 

There was a boisterous laugh from Ezra that echoed in the room behind the door and you shot out of your seat like it had burned you. You were nearly vibrating with anticipation, waiting for Ezra to open the door and give you whatever news he had, good or bad.

He came out into the hallway and shut the door quietly before turning to you, a serious and grim expression on his face.

"Well?" you asked, nearly breathless. You clasped your hands to your chest and held your breath.

"She gave us her full approval," he said, grinning from ear to ear. "She commended me for my part in your rescue and how I helped you and the children on Muir. I suppose she wanted to hear my side of the story as well."

You threw yourself into his embrace and laughed with him joy. "Ez!" you squealed as he peppered your face with kisses. "Oh, this is wonderful! We must tell the children immediately!"

Ezra grinned and pulled back to press an open mouth kiss to your jaw. "They are playing outside, Princess. I figured we have a few minutes to ourselves. Now that you're not in the physician's ward anymore."

Ezra kissed you again and pressed his forehead to yours. "Now who would I be to deny such a simple request?"


	10. Chapter 10

The leaves on the trees had just started to turn when you and Ezra were married. It turned out to be the last nice day of the year, with a clear blue sky and the last embrace of a warm breeze that blew through the garden.

Your mother and grandmother had wanted a spring wedding for you, as was traditional, but both you and Ezra decided on early autumn. It felt better for you two, closer, more personal.

The day of your wedding was perfect, not one single thing went wrong. It was as if Kevva themselves were smiling down upon you. 

Your children were so excited to find that they were going to be in your wedding. They could barely contain their excitement throughout the summer. Even the little trip you all took back to Muir for a few weeks to help Ezra pack his belongings and auction the farm couldn't distract them long enough from asking a million questions about the wedding. The only thing that seemed to pull them away long enough for you and Ezra to get a moment to yourselves was the promise of bringing the barn cat, Charlotte, and her six kittens back to the palace when you left. They wouldn't have to hunt for their food or sleep in the shed any longer, and the children were delighted at your allowing the cats to sleep with them.

The morning of the wedding, you woke to Marie crawling into bed with you and snuggling under your arm. 

"Mama," she whispered, "Are you awake?"

You chuckled and looked over at her, her curls messy and falling out of the braids she slept in. 

"Yes, my little bug, I am awake," you replied, brushing your knuckle along her cheek.

"I'm too excited to sleep, mama," she said, cuddling up to your chest.

"There's still time to sleep for a bit," you told her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "It's going to be a busy day. Try to close your eyes."

"I know," she said with a yawn. "Grandmother said there was going to be sweets and dancing!"

"And we don't want to miss out on that, do we?" you teased, giving her a gentle shake. 

She shook her head. "Never! Though Mr. Ezra said he would save me extra sweets if I fell asleep."

You chuckled and gave her a hug. "You won't need to call him that anymore if you don't want to. You'll be able to just call him Ezra after today."

Marie grew quiet and you looked down, wondering if she fell back asleep in your arms. Instead, she peered up at you with wide eyes.

"Can I call him papa?" she asked softly.

You brushed some of her hair away from her eyes and smiled in response. "You can if you want, little bug. That is a question for him to answer, yes? Ask him tonight if he would be alright with that."

Marie's smile grew impossibly wider and she squeezed her little arms tighter around you. "Okay, mama!"

"Now get some rest, bug," you urged her. "I'll wake you when it's time to get ready."

A few hours later, you stood in front of the large doors of the ballroom, dressed in a pale pink and blue gown, hair swept off your neck in a delicate updo. You took a deep breath as the doors opened and you walked out into the garden, the familiar path lit by several colorful blown glass luminaries, winding through the stone walkway, leading you towards Ezra.

His hand was already outstretched as you approached and he smiled broadly when you stepped onto the altar to join him at his side. 

"You look beautiful," he whispered as he turned towards you. His eyes crinkled at the corners and you swore you saw tears in his eyes as he looked at you. "I am truly a lucky man, Princess."

Together, you turned to face the officiant as she read the ceremony to you both and to the small crowd behind you in the garden. She bowed low in front of you and Ezra before throwing the marriage veil over the two of you.

Ezra chuckled once the translucent shroud was draped over your heads, partially obscuring you both from the others. "Hi," he beamed, your hands still clasped in his between the two of you.

"Hi," you replied breathlessly, gazing up at Ezra. After a moment of silence,, you giggled and looked down at your joined hands. "We need to read the vows."

"Right, right," he said with a small nod. He cleared his throat and looked down at you. You both sucked in a breath and in unison, spoke your vows.

"I promise to stay by your side, through hardship and pleasure alike, to protect and praise you always, and keep the flames lit. To love the life we have, and the life we may create together now and forever more. For our lasting legacy, until the end of time."

As the final word was spoken, the officiant lifted the veil from your heads, revealing you both as one to the waiting crowd. 

Ezra cupped your face in his hand and kissed you deeply, not caring one bit that your family was watching. He knew he loved you from the moment he saw you in the cantina, scared and shaken, trying to feed your children. He wanted to be with you, even if you didn't care for him the same way he did for you. 

You threw your arms around him and returned his kiss with as much enthusiasm as he kissed you. You had never been more sure of anything in your whole life. This was what you had been waiting for. From the night you had been told of Rion's death, you had been waiting. Nothing had ever felt more right to you than in this moment. 

Music started up around you as the party began. Your children ran towards you, wanting to be a part of the festivities as well. Marie bounced on her heels and tugged on Ezra's sweater.

"Mr. Ezra," she said softly, looking almost shy. "I have something to ask you."

"Of course, birdie," he replied, bowing at the waist to talk to her. "How about you go and get us some cake and a drink? You can ask me anything you want." He brushed her cheek with his thumb and offered her a smile.

She grinned and jumped up and down before running off towards one of the many tables laden with treats. 

"Should I be worried?" Ezra asked as he watched her grab a massive piece of pink cake and duck through the crowd towards a high top table.

You chuckled and put your hands on Ezra's arm. "No more than usual, my love."

"I doubt there's anything that could ruin this day regardless," he hummed as he kissed you again.

"Mama!" Aiden cried as he shut his eyes. "Gross!"

"Mr. Ezra," Henry said, "My bow tie came undone, will you help me?"

Ezra chuckled and pulled away from your embrace. "While I can't tie much of anything these days, what I am able to do is show you how to do it yourself. Come on."

You smiled and ruffled Aiden's hair as Ezra led Henry towards the tent where the light was better. "Mama, you're not gonna do a bunch of that kissing stuff now, are you?"

"As much as possible," you teased. Aiden made a sour face and took off running towards the party. You shook your head and bounded after him, lightly threatening him with a dance should you catch him.

***

It was a few months after your wedding that you began to feel nauseous and lightheaded during your afternoon strolls through the garden with Ezra and the children. You chalked it up to the little bug that Henry and Aiden had come down with, but after it hung around for a week or so, Ezra insisted you talk to the doctor in the physician's wing. You had an idea as to the cause of your mysterious illness, but didn't voice your suspicions to your husband just yet. 

After a quick test, the physician confirmed what you had been thinking. You were pregnant. By his calculations, you were about two months along, maybe nine weeks or so. Still far too early to feel anything, but it didn't matter to you. You loved your child so much already and couldn't wait to tell Ezra and the children. With the children, you figured that you could wait to tell them for a while longer, just in case something were to happen, but Ezra would want to know immediately.

You found Ezra reading in the bedroom, sitting in bed with a book in his lap. He looked up and grinned when he saw you enter.

"That was a quick visit," he said, holding his arm out, beckoning you to join him.

You crawled onto the bed and smiled as you cuddled up to him. "Put the book down. I have some good news to share with you, my love."

Ezra slipped the bookmark between the pages and slid the book onto the bedside table. He rearranged himself on the bed beside you and turned to face you expectantly.

You took his hand and rested it against your belly, looking at him hopefully, excitement bubbling inside you, ready to burst. "I'm pregnant, Ez," you whispered. You bit your lip, nervously awaiting his reaction. It didn't occur to you that he might be anything but elated, or that perhaps you should have told him in a different way.

Ezra blinked a few times, processing what you had just told him. It was one of the few times you'd left him completely speechless. He barked out an excited laugh and surged forward to kiss you. "Pregnant! Princess, are you telling me I--- we are going to have a baby!"

You nodded and laughed as he kissed your cheeks, your mouth, your forehead, any spare inch of your skin that he could reach. "Yes, yes! The doctor confirmed it, but no one else knows. We mustn't tell anyone just yet!"

"Of course," he said quickly, "I can't hardly believe it!" He kissed you again and rolled over, dragging you on top of him. "Another bird to add to our flock, Princess! Imagine!"

***

Your daughter made her entrance into the world one late summer night, red and wailing and perfect, only a few hours after you went into labor while on a walk with Ezra and the children in the garden. The physician had warned you months ago that it was normal if your labor was so short, given that it was your fourth child, after all.

Ezra was by your side the entire time, encouraging you and coaching your breathing as you sat in between his legs. He let you squeeze his hand during contractions, right up until the midwife kicked him out when they were mere minutes apart. 

It wasn't long at all after the nurses shoved Ezra into the hallway that they opened the door again to proclaim the good news. A healthy baby girl.

As Ezra was let back in the room, he brought his hand to his mouth when he spotted you holding your child to your breast. He sat down beside you in the bed and stared at you both in awe. 

Your daughter turned in your arms, her bright eyes blinking sleepily in the dim light from the fireplace beside your bed. Her eyes were yours no doubt about that, but she had Ezra's beautiful, perfect mouth. Perhaps one day she would have his silver tongue to match.

Most notably, and what had first taken your own breath away, was the shock of dark hair that lay against her head. However, on her hairline was a downy tuft of fine white hairs, exactly like her father's. It had brought you to tears when you first spotted it as the midwife lifted her from between your legs. 

"She's perfect, Princess," he whispered, putting his arm over your shoulder. He rested his head against your temple and stared down at the tiny baby asleep in your arms. "What should we name her?"

"Eudora," you whispered after a moment of silence, glancing up at him, waiting for his reaction. 

Ezra was quiet, and for a second, you worried you had upset him. But he slowly moved his arm from around your shoulders to grip the baby's tiny hand in two of his fingers.

"Eudora," he said quietly, his voice breaking slightly. "That is a fine name, isn't it?"

"I never stopped thinking about what you'd told me the day you pulled me out of the water," you murmured, kissing the top of your daughter's head. "About your sister."

"Poor thing," he said softly. "I wish I'd gotten to meet her."

"I wanted to honor her," you said. "And your mother, if you'd like. For a middle name?"

"My mother," Ezra replied, brushing his thumb over the back of Eudora's tiny hand. "My mother's name was Rachel."

"Eudora Rachel," you said softly as you pressed your lips to her forehead. "Welcome to the world, my sweet girl."

Ezra wiped the tears from his eyes as he watched the two of you. He hadn't stopped grinning since the midwife came out and announced her birth. He couldn't believe that this tiny bundle sleeping in your arms was a part of him. It felt as though it could all disappear if he blinked. He feared he would wake up, back on the Green, that perhaps this was a dream brought on by the toxic dust that had seeped into his blood. But it was real. 

"Do you want to hold her?" you asked, nudging him with your shoulder. You smiled at his awestruck expression as he regarded your question, nodding slowly when you passed her over to him.

"Hello, little birdie," he said softly, shifting himself onto the bed so he could rest her carefully in the crook of his arm. "Hi, sweet girl. I-- I'm your dad. Happy birthday, angel."

You leaned against Ezra's shoulder and yawned, exhausted from bringing your daughter into the world. You let Ezra's gentle voice be a lullaby as you drifted off to sleep. Tomorrow, your children and your mother and grandmother would meet Eudora. Her birth would finally be announced to the world, introducing her as the newest princess. But for now, it was just the three of you, your husband by your side, your daughter sleeping in a bassinet by the fire. And it was absolutely perfect.

The next morning, you woke with Eudora's short, wailing cries for milk, which you provided happily. You were already untying the laces on your nightgown to bare your breast to her as you moved to her little crib to carry her back to bed.

Ezra had awoken with you, or perhaps maybe he had not slept at all. He watched you feed her and then change her with rapt attention, afraid to miss even a moment of his daughter's first hours of life. 

It was still very early in the morning, the moon had not yet gone down, the sun still far from reaching the horizon. It had only been a few hours since you had fallen asleep, the clock on the mantel let you know as much. But both you and Ezra stayed awake after that until the sun rose, leaning against one another as you watched your daughter sleep soundly between your bodies.

"She's perfect," he whispered, leaning over to kiss you. "She is such a tiny little thing, I'm afraid I would crush her."

"It always feels that way," you murmured. "But you won't."

"I can't stop looking at her," he said. "She has only just seen her first sunrise and I would already shoot a man dead for even looking at her."

"That feeling will never go away either," you chuckled, glancing back down at Eudora. You trailed your fingers over the fine white patch in her hair and smiled at the thought that she would carry her father with her always.

Ezra ran his fingers over the back of your hand and leaned over to press a kiss to your forehead.

"And you, Princess, how do you feel?" he asked, settling back to look at you.

"Wonderful," you replied, with a small smile. You heard the rapid pounding of feet in the hallway outside as your children raced to meet their new baby sister. Your mother opened the door and the children poured inside, already squealing with delight.

Ezra gently scooped Eudora into his arm so the children could get a closer, careful look at her. 

You looked at the five of them and smiled fondly at the new life you now had. It felt like a dream, perfect in every way imaginable. 

After a moment, Ezra set the baby down in her bassinet and rejoined you on the bed to watch the children as they peered into her little cradle. 

"Remember that night in the garden on Muir?" he asked, lacing his fingers in yours. "When I promised you I would always be there to read you poetry?"

You smiled and leaned against him. "I believe the phrasing was something about whispering poetry between my thighs," you said, your voice hushed.

Ezra chuckled and nodded. "That was indeed the phrase, yes. And I will keep that promise until the end of my days, Princess. I will write poems for you, for the children. For this little one." He looked over at the bassinet and smiled widely before turning to you again and kissing you sweetly. "All my love, Princess. And in a hundred years, they can tell stories of us, be inspired by us, and by our poetry."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so ends our story, and everyone is satisfied with the ending...
> 
> I can't believe poetry is finally finished! I love this story with my entire heart. Duchess and Ez will live rent free in my brain.
> 
> To those who kept up with it since the beginning, thank you. I'm sorry I made you wait. But I do have smut on the way to make up for it. 
> 
> If you enjoyed this story, please leave a comment, and come hang with me on Tumblr @smarchit

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! If you liked it, please leave a review!   
> Comments feed the story machine.
> 
> Thanks to the C3P-Hoes discord for letting me bounce ideas off of you guys! <3 
> 
> Follow me on tumblr: @smarchit


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